We first saw this enigmatic bird on our first visit to Costa Rica two years ago in the Gandoca/Manzanilla Reserve in the South Caribbean zone; then we saw it in daylight, which is a pretty rare thing.
As dusk falls a strange call can be heard, loud and pretty scary! The Great Potoo appears ready to hunt.
Bwah Bwah rings out in the night and there atop a large tree we can see its huge eyes in our spotlight
After experiencing this eerie encounter over a couple of nights I found it possible to imitate the call of this nocturnal hunter and eventually found I could call him/her down to within a few metres, though still high in the trees. Suddenly it lands close by and I try my best to get a photograph; conditions are very harsh , dim light and my flash is underpowered. Soon I have a few “interesting shots” . This contimues over several days and we also find the Potoo at our next house rental and get more pictures.
It would be fantastic to get a clear shot in daylight but however much I scanned the trees the Potoo stayed hidden who knows where? However any contact with this uncommon hunter of the night is priceless. We will be back to continue the search!
What a fascinating pic Richard of The Great Potoo, so very well achieved.
So interesting to read about this bird, – best of luck with the continuing search.
Thinking of you both, as you probably are nearing the end of this another presumably very memorable visit to Costa Rica.
Much love S & J xx