Common Potoo

Gallery: AvianPosted October 29, 2014173 views9 comments

Canon 1D-X, 300mm x 2.0TC, handheld
f6.3, 1/500, ISO400

Tropical Birding's Andres Vasquez found this bird; I would never have seen it. Close up, its camo is very good. From a distance, it was perfect.

Full frame. Slight sharpening to bird.

C & C, please. Thanks for looking.

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Robert Bunch on October 29, 2014 at 8:41 AM

Shouldn't this picture of a tree branch be in the Flora gallery!!??

Great example of camo. Very cool shot. I wonder if any other birds were ever fooled enough to try to perch on him. Well seen and captured.

Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on October 29, 2014 at 10:47 AM

That is really cool. Incredible camo.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on October 29, 2014 at 11:24 AM

I saw photos of these Potoo for the first time about a week ago and thought they were amazing.
The camouflage is incredible.

super shot Jim

Registered on February 20, 2013, 198 Posts, 1011 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Thompson on October 29, 2014 at 12:40 PM

That's amazing Jim. This would be very easy to miss. Great Capture!

Technically, the bird is pretty centered in the frame. Maybe move it to the left a bit to de-center him.

Registered on August 7, 2014, 125 Posts, 2319 Comments

Comment posted by S Govindarajan on October 29, 2014 at 12:56 PM

Great example of natures camo, Jim. I like your comp - the oof tree trunk on the right enhances the camo impression.

Registered on April 19, 2008, 115 Posts, 1921 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on October 29, 2014 at 1:08 PM

Nice that you separated it from the background. This is a great view of the excellent camo. Did you happen to get any shots from straight on or from behind? Just curious, because I rarely see photos from those angles (obviously profile gives us the best view).

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on October 30, 2014 at 5:37 PM

This is super cool Jim

I like the way you presented the potoo beside the tree trunk. The large version is a much see, wonderful details.

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Patrick O'Healy on October 30, 2014 at 6:05 PM

Jim,
this is stunning. I had to look to see the bird.

Registered on March 13, 2011, 326 Posts, 1679 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on October 31, 2014 at 5:26 PM

Ah-hah! I am at last vindicated!! I am well known on workshops for making birds out of sticks, stones and dirt piles. This image proves how I come to do that!! Can't get better camouflage than this. A totally wonderful and illustrative capture of camouflage at work. Even has its eye closed to complete the look. Extraordinary!

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments