Short-tailed nighthawk

Lurocalis semitorquatus

(Photo from Bird Forum)

Common name:
short-tailed nighthawk (en); tuju (pt); engoulevent à queue courte (fr); añapero colicorto (es); bändernachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae

Range:
This species is found from Mexico down to Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 19-21 cm long and weigh 70-90 g.

Habitat:
The short-tailed nighthawk is found in tropical rainforests and swamp forests, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
They mostly hunt at dusk or during the night, taking insects in flight such as beetles, moths and bugs.

Breeding:
Short-tailed nighthawks don't build an actual nest, they simply lay their eggs on an horizontal branch, usually 6-18 m above the ground, or sometimes on the ground itself. The female lays 1-2 whitish of creamy eggs with brown and grey spots, which are incubated by both parents for 19-22 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 20-24 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population trend is believed to be stable, but a model of Amazonian deforestation predicts it may loose 17-20% of suitable habitat in the next 15 years, so a small decline may take place in the near future.