The Owl That Pretends to Be a Branch
The great potoo looks like a broken tree limb and acts like one too. During the day, it perches motionless on branches, eyes barely open, blending perfectly into the background. Only at night does it hunt, swooping silently after insects and small vertebrates.
Its stillness is so convincing that even trained observers have walked right past it. By becoming a piece of scenery, the potoo avoids predators and fools prey. It’s camouflage via commitment—one of nature’s greatest slow-motion sneak attacks.
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