Camouflaged life in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

When walking through a tropical forest within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome, it is important to always be aware of one's surroundings. This is not only due to the possibility of encountering physical obstacles or venomous animals, but also because various organisms, sometimes camouflaged, are almost always in your path. At the Caetetus Ecological Station – a preserve located between the cities of Gália and Alvinlândia, and one of the last substantial Atlantic Forest remnants in the interior of state of São Paulo – we observed a common pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) (left), a nightjar species, and its two young (right) camouflaged in the middle of the leaf litter. Nightjars are nocturnal birds that use camouflage to minimize detection by possible predators, especially during the daytime, as they have the habit of resting on the forest floor or on branches (Cleere N. 1999. Family Caprimulgidae [nightjars]. In: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, and Sargatal J [Eds]. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 5: barn-owls to hummingbirds. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions).Popular thinking maintains that life forms in tropical forests are often characterized by vibrant colors and an exotic appearance. However, on the contrary, many animals in this habitat benefit from both cryptic coloration and behavior.