TABLE 2 in Breeding ecology of Rufous Potoo Nyctibius bracteatus in central Amazonian Brazil

TABLE 2 Adult and chick behaviour and plumage development at the nest in 2015, from the first days after hatching until the day the young left the nest.
DateBehaviourChick appearance28/9/2015Nestling observed for first time; adult perched nearby.Basically pale beige.29/9/2015Adult and nestling on nest. Nestling more active and visible (head protruding from adult’s belly)Basically white.9/10/2015Nestling partially visible. Both birds observed making the rocking motion. Adult alert while chick constantly scratched and defecated.Pale; no feathers on face; wings and tail rachis developing. First feathers light brown with dark brown tips.14/10/2015Adult and nestling observed stretching their wings and performing rocking movements.Face and body with mid-brown feathers and more dark brown tips noted. Medium brown primaries also had dark tips.16/10/2015Adult facing differently and chick more obvious. This was the last time we saw the adult brooding the fledging by day.Darker, especially on the back. Both wings and tail longer. All feather tips darker, almost black.19/10/2015Nestling observed alone on nest for first time. One adult was seen perched on a horizontal branch c. 20m away.Longer contour feathers with darker tips noted. Difference between darker back and paler belly easily visible. The pointed feathers over the eyes, evident on adults, now present. Iris brighter than a few days earlier.25/10/2015Chick notably larger and performing a rocking motion. No adults seen.Rufous coloration, predominant in adults, starting to be evident, especially on wing and tail feathers. First white spots on back and wings now visible.1/11/2015An adult fed the young at dusk a few times, remaining less than a minute at the nest.Rufous colour, especially on primaries and tail, more evident. Smaller black spots on feather tips and more white feathers with black tips visible. Some bars on tail.7/11/2015The last day when the chick was observed at the nest.Rufous tail feathers much longer and barred. Also, wings longer, and secondaries had some narrow bars. Body feathers in general darker and uniform, with some brighter brown feathers on belly.9/11/2015Fledgling seen away from nest, perched on a branch c. 3 m from the nest and lower than it.Very long and heavily barred tail feathers, more rufous on back and head. Primaries light brown and secondaries rufous with black tips.