Distribution

Occurs from southeastern Mexico south to northern Colombia, and South America east of the Andes south to eastern Bolivia and central Brazil. A disjunct population also occurs in southeastern Brazil.

Resident. Usually is restricted to the lower elevations. The elevational range in Colombia is 400 m (Hilty and Brown 1986); in Venezuela, 800 m (Hilty 2003); in Ecuador, to 400 m (Ridgely and Greenfield 2001); and in Peru,"below 1000 m" (Schulenberg et al. 2007).

Endemic to South and Central America.

Humid evergreen lowland forests and woodlands. Particularly like forest edges next to open areas where it can find prey more easily. Often found in the tree canopies along bodies of water (Cohn-Haft 1999).

None reported.

No fossil records of Great Potoo. Recent research has suggested that modern potoos (Nyctibiidae) may be a sister group to Old World potoos (Paraprefica) based on cladistic analysis on fossilized Paraprefica kelleri from France and Germany dating from the Oligocene and Eocene. It is unclear if potoos once had a worldwide distribution or if the family was originally from the Old World and more recently invaded the New World (Mayr 2005).