potoo
1
9.9
A night bird that looks like a broken branch and makes strange calls in Central and South America
- noun
- /ˈpōˌtō/
:
potoo
- With its large eyes, the potoo expertly hunts for insects in the dim light of dusk.
Examples
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During our night hike, we spotted a potoo camouflaged against a tree trunk, almost invisible among the bark.
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(n3) Quillara later reciprocated with her handmade ceramics, a large drinking bowl and a figurine representing an important mythological being, a pregnant Potoo bird.
Academic text (1996) -
The potoo is known for its distinctive call that echoes through the Central American forests at night.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Potoo comes from a Tupi name that copies the bird's 'po-too' sound, so the name itself is like the bird's eerie night call. Like the word 'hoot' for an owl, potoo helps you remember a quiet, night bird that hides by looking like a broken branch.