Distribution

Common Potoo is very widely distributed, ocurring in southern Central America and throughout the lowlands of northern and central South America. The northern limits of its distribution are not completely clear. Common Potoo is documented by voice on the Caribbean slope of Nicaragua (Martínez-Sánchez and Will 2010), and there is a report of the song of this species from northwestern Nicaragua on Volcán Casita (Martínez-Sánchez and Will 2010). Its presence in northwestern Nicaragua suggests sympatry with Northern Potoo (Nyctibius jamaicensis), but Common Potoo otherwise has not been documented from western Nicaragua or northwestern Costa Rica. Common Potoo occurs regularly from southwestern Costa Rica south through both slopes of Panama to South America. West of the Andes, it occurs south to northwestern Peru; east of the Andes, Common Potoo occurs south to northern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.

Common Potoo is resident throughout most of its range, but the southernmost populations may be migratory (Belton 1984); documenting its seasonal status is difficult, however, "because most records [are] based on voice, and it could be here undetected in winter if silent then" (Belton 1984). Observational data from eBird are consistent with the suggestion that Common Potoo is migratory, particularly in northwestern Argentina and southernmost Brazil (e.g., compare its reported distribution in these regions from the austral summer versus the austral winter).

Common Potoo occurs in the lowlands, locally up to 1800 m (Parker et al. 1996).

Endemic to the Americas.

Common Potoo occupies forest edge, open woodland, tall second growth and plantations, and clearings, in both humid lowland and deciduous and semi-deciduous forests.

None documented.

Little information; Common Potoo is reported from Pleistocene sites in Brazil (Brodkorb 1971).