Order
Caprimulgiformes
Family
Nyctibiidae
Genus
Nyctibius
 
Neotropical Birds logo
Version 1.0

This is a historic version of this account.  Current version

SPECIES

Long-tailed Potoo Nyctibius aethereus

Sulli Gibson
Version: 1.0 — Published November 14, 2014

Conservation

Long-tailed Potoo's population size of Long-tailed Potoo has not been quantified but this species has a very large distribution; consequently the IUCN Red List conservations status of Long-tailed Potoo is evaluated as Least Concern (BirdLife International 2014). The population still appears to be decreasing, but not at a rapid enough rate to reach the classification of vulnerable (BirdLife International 2014). Parker et al. (1996) lists the Atlantic Forest population (N. a. aethereus) as threatened and Cohn-Haft (1999) claims it is "probably threatened". Subspecies chocoensis also has a restricted distribution and is very poorly known, and "should perhaps be considered vulnerable" (Cohn-Haft 1999).

Effects of human activity on populations

The population size of Long-tailed Potoo is believed to be in decline due to ongoing deforestation in South America (BirdLife International 2014). Little original forest remains in the Atlantic forest (Cohn-Haft 1999). In 23 years, Long-tailed Potoo is estimated to lose 13.3-17.5% of suitable habitat throughout its distribution if Amazonian deforestation models are accurate (BirdLife International 2014). This would cause a decline of greater than 25% in the global population size.

Recommended Citation

Gibson, S. (2014). Long-tailed Potoo (Nyctibius aethereus), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.lotpot1.01