Distribution

Northern Potoo is resident in northern Central America and on Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola. The presence of the potoo long has been known from Jamaica (where the type specimen was collected) and from Hispaniola (Wetmore and Swales 1931, Dod 1987, Raffaele et al. 1998). In contrast, a 19th century report of a specimen from Cuba was dismissed by later authors as an error, but it recently has been reported from several sites across Cuba (Martínez et al. 2000, Kirwan 2001). There also are records for Isla Mona and Isla Desecho, off the coast of Puerto Rico, which are interpreted as vagrants (Raffaele 1981, 1989).

Northern Potoo occurs north to southern Sinaloa, in western Mexico, and to southern Tamaulipas, in eastern Mexico (Friedmann et al. 1950, Howell and Webb 1995). Its distribution extends south along the Atlantic coast through southeastern Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, and Guatemala to Honduras (Paynter 1955, Russell 1964, Monroe 1968, Land 1970, Howell and Webb 1995). There is a recent sight record for Isla Cozumel, Mexico, where Howell (2004) suggested that it may be an irregular visitor, although Davis (1978) earlier had reported it from Cozumel without comment. This species also is reported from Isla Roatán off the coast of Honduras (Monroe 1968).

On the Pacific slope, Northern Potoo continues south through Guatemala and El Salvador to northwestern Costa Rica (Dickey and van Rossem 1938, Land 1970, Stiles and Skutch 1989, Howell and Webb 1995). Its status in Nicaragua is unclear. Presumably its distribution is continuous between El Salvador and Costa Rica, and there are sight records for western Nicaragua. Howell reportedly heard the characteristic song of Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus), however, in northwestern Nicaragua on Volcán Casita (Martínez-Sánchez and Will 2010).

The elevational range of Northern Potoo in northern Central America is from sea level up to 1500 m (Howell and Webb 1995).

Endemic to the Americas.

Northern Potoo occupies"open and semiopen areas with scattered trees" (Howell and Webb 1995), such as forest edge and fields with scattered trees (Paynter 1955). This potoo occurs in both humid and arid forests (Monroe 1968, Raffaele et al. 1998). On Hispaniola and Cuba, occurs in dry vegetation with tall columnar cacti, palms, and 1-3 m tall scrub (Kirwan 2001). Also occurs on golf courses on Jamaica (Raffaele et al. 1998). At least locally also occurs in mangroves, as in northwestern Mexico (Howell 1999), Costa Rica (Sandoval et al. 2010), and Jamaica (Haynes-Sutton et al. 2009).

None documented. Thurber et al. (1987) reported that they knew of no certain records of Northern Potoo from El Salvador later than the records cited by Dickey and van Rossem (1938), although Thurber et al. (1987) also reported anecdotal accounts of the species into the 1950s. Northern Potoo currently is present in El Salvador, although Komar (1998) considers it to remain vulnerable to extirpation in that country.

None reported.