What's up everyone. I'm a stump today
August 31, 2016 3:54 AM   Subscribe

It's the middle of the night in tropical Costa Rica, and you're wandering in the forest. Suddenly, you hear a sound like a jaguar having a really difficult bowel movement. But no! Actually it's a bird that looks like Jim Henson was asked to design a stoned alien.

You can hear a better version of the call on this page (click listen on the right). But the Potoo and its cousins are more than a weird face and disturbing call. They're also masters of disguise, mournful rain posing, and just straight chilling. The Rufous Potoo is particularly handsome. I can see why you'd want to be a Potoo, but please don't.
posted by selfnoise (17 comments total) 38 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Rufous Potoo is particularly handsome.

OK, ornithologists. It was really funny, but the jig is up. It's obvious now that birds are just clever steam toys invented by Archimedes.
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 4:32 AM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]


A potoo gives you stink eye, you stay stunk forever.
posted by scruss at 5:39 AM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


Who's a great pootoo? Yes oo are! Yes oo are!
posted by Mchelly at 5:47 AM on August 31, 2016 [4 favorites]


That video of the one in the rain has made my day. I have never been so understood by an animal before.

(I am actually having a good day, but such drama from that bird!)
posted by darksong at 5:48 AM on August 31, 2016 [9 favorites]


There are so very many avian species with magistic or colorful plumage and lovely song...

And then there's the potoo.

It's one of those days--I can relate.
* hunches shoulders, pokes nose up*
posted by BlueHorse at 6:06 AM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


Neat, sort of the new-world cousins of the Frogmouths. Frogmouths can also look like stoned muppet aliens, so Google upsome of them if you want more things sort of like Potoos :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:20 AM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


I HAVE FOUND MY PATRONUS. Seriously it's like an owl without all the majesty.
posted by skycrashesdown at 6:22 AM on August 31, 2016 [15 favorites]


For reference on the Potoo/Frogmouth connection: here is a frogmouth mother and fledgling being stumps, and here is a group of frogmouth chicks doing the stoned muppet thing.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:30 AM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]


It's like the Gripsholm castle taxidermist's idea of a bird.
posted by a car full of lions at 6:42 AM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


Speaking of Patronuses, I heard there was a huge debate in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. They couldn't decide if potoos are magical enough to bother with hiding them from muggles.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:44 AM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


That's a lovely bird. Nice camouflage! Thanks.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:46 AM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


The potoo has its on fandom on Tumblr, where I have seen its call compared to a crabby teenager yelling for his mom.
posted by LindsayIrene at 6:57 AM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


Searching for potoo on YouTube leads to a rabbit hole of bizarre create videos. I made it to the lizard that shoots blood from its eyes before the NOPES set in.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:01 AM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


You cannot stump the princely Potoo
It knows how to stump so much better than you do
And when it has stumped, it shrieks in pure voodoo:
"I am the king of all of the Youtubes!"

This bird is the lord of all of creation
Through eyeballs and poses and vocalisation
It owns SEO and monetization
Its avian campaign knows no border nor nation

Sp put down your Tumblrs, your tweets and your posts
You cannot compete, nor even get close
Cybersimians, give up your mammalian boasts
The Potoo will always make your numbers toast
posted by Devonian at 7:10 AM on August 31, 2016 [10 favorites]


That's just a regular old Chameleon (which I can no longer hear as anything other than "SHA-meel-YON" after watching the True Facts video). They're cute! Until they squirt blood out of their swively little turret eyes.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 7:18 AM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


Oh, Rain Potoo, I told you not to build your nest there.
posted by allthinky at 8:47 AM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


I was introduced to the wonders of the potoo three years ago, in the MeFi post about the blobfish. My reaction at the time, which I still firmly stand by, was "holy crap it's like Allie Brosh invented an owl".

I was, however, previously unaware of the majestic dancing muppetbird that is the Rufous Potoo, and for this video I am eternally grateful.
posted by NMcCoy at 11:56 PM on August 31, 2016


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