CONGRATULATIONS Valdis Vassell and Stacy-Ann Lowe for being the first two Jamaica Observer readers to correctly guess the name of the Jamaican endemic bird featured last Wednesday. The answer was in fact Northern Potoo, otherwise called the Jamaican owl.

Its calls are hoarse and guttural, sounding like “WHAAAH-whuh-whuh-whuh!”

The Northen Potoo is a fairly large bird with grey-brown feathers and spanning a length of 38-46 centimetres. Its features include a long tail, long, pointed wings, a large head, very short legs and a small bill.

It is most often seen perched motionless in an upright position on branches or posts.

Its cheeks are pale with a dark malar stripe below them. The large eye has a yellow iris which can shine red in light at night.

It is to be noted that the common potoo is virtually identical in appearance but has a very different voice — a series of mournful, wailing whistles. The great potoo is larger and paler with no dark stripes.