Silky-tailed nightjar

Antrostomus sericocaudatus

Photo by Edson Endrigo (Birds Iporanga)

Common name:
silky-tailed nightjar (en); bacurau-rabo-de-seda (pt); engoulevent à queue de soie (fr); chotacabras coladeseda (es); seidennachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae

Range:
This species has two disjunct subspecies. A.s. sericocaudatus is found in south-eastern Brazil, south-eastern Paraguay and extreme north-western Argentina. A.s. mengeli is found in eastern Peru and north-western Bolivia, also with scattered records across north-central Brazil.

Size:
These birds are 24-31 cm long and weigh 60-100 g.

Habitat:
The silky-tailed nightjar is mostly found in moist tropical forests, favouring forest clearings and forests edges, but also uses second growths, gallery forests and swamp forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 600 m.

Diet:
They feed on various insects, including beetles, crickets, grasshoppers and ants.

Breeding:
Silky-tailed nightjars appear to be monogamous and the northern subspecies A.s. mengeli breeds in August-December. The female lays 2 eggs directly on the forest ground, either on bare ground or among the leaf litter. The eggs are pale pinkish-orange with dark maroon specks. The eggs are incubated by both sexes for about 18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and start flying short distances 11-12 days after hatching, but remain in the nest-site area until they are about 24 days old.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as rare and patchily distributed. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, but it is not threatened at present.

Common poorwill

Phalaenoptilus nuttallii

Photo by Don Doolittle (Debi Shearwater's Journeys)

Common name:
common poorwill (en); noitibó-de-Nuttall (pt); engoulevent de Nuttall (fr); chotacabras pachacua (es); winternachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgidae
Family Caprimulgidae

Range:
This species is found in western North America, from southern British Columbia and southern Saskatchewan in Canada, across the western United States and into north-western Mexico as far south as San Luis Potosí. The more northern population migrate south to winter along the southern parts of their range.

Size:
These birds are 18-21 cm long and weigh 35-55 g.

Habitat:
The common poorwill is found in arid and semi-arid areas, particularly in dry scrublands, but also in dry grasslands, rocky areas and hot deserts. To a lesser extent they can also use open deciduous and coniferous forests. This species is present at altitudes of 500-1.000 m.


Diet:
They hunt during the nigth taking insects on the wing, particularly beetles and moths. They also take cicadas, bugs, grasshoppers, locusts, flying ants and flies.

Breeding:
Common poorwills are monogamous and breed in March-September, varying among different parts of their range. The female lays 2 white to buff eggs, which are layed on the ground, without any type of nest structure, sometimes sheltered by a nearby rock, scrub or fallen tree. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 20-21 days. The chicks fledge 20-22 days after hatching. Each pair usually raises 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although there are no available population estimates, the global population is believed to be large but may be somewhat fragmented. The common poorwill has undergone a small increase over the last 4 decades, possibly benefiting from human activities such as cattle grazing or logging that create open habitats.

Band-tailed nighthawk

Nyctiprogne leucopyga

Photo by Anselmo d'Affonseca (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
band-tailed nighthawk (en); bacurau-de-cauda-barrada (pt); engoulevent leucopyge (fr); añapero colibandeado (es); bindenschwanz-nachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae

Range:
This species is found in Venezuela and eastern Colombia, and through north-western and central Brazil into northern Bolivia, northern Paraguay and French Guyana.

Size:
These birds are 16-20 cm long and weigh 23-26 g.

Habitat:
The band-tailed nighthawk is mostly found in moist tropical forests and moist savannas, including gallery forests and forest edges. They also use inland wetlands such as marshes, swamps and rivers. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 500 m.

Diet:
They hunt insects such as beetles, bugs and ants.

Breeding:
Band-tailed nighthawks possibly breed in August-March. They nest on the ground, on open soil covered in dead leaves, and the female lays 1-2 whitish or creamy eggs with brown and grey spots or blotches. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 19-21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and may move small distances away from the nest within 24 h of hatching, fledging 20-21 days after hatching. Each pair may raise 1-2 clutches per season and the female starts incubating the second brood while the male is still taking care of the first.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common but patchily distributed. The band-tailed nighthawk is suspected to lose 22-26% of suitable habitat within its range over the next 15 years based on a model of Amazonian deforestation, so a small decline is expected in the near future.

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.

Lesser nighthawk

Chordeiles acutipennis

Photo by Pat Gaines (Flickr)

Common name:
lesser nighthawk (en); bacurau-de-asa-fina (pt); engoulevent minime (fr); añapero garrapena (es); Texasnachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae

Range:
This species breeds in the southern United States, from California to southern Texas, and also in most of Mexico and in some areas of Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela and northern Brazil. The more northern populations migrate south to winter along Central America and northern South America as far south as central Brazil, Bolivia and northern Chile.

Size:
These birds are 20-22 cm long and a wingspan of 50-55 cm. They weigh 40-50 g.

Habitat:
The lesser nighthawk is mostly found in tropical dry scrublands, but also in tropical high altitude scrublands, tropical wet grasslands and degraded patches of former tropical forest. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They hunt at dusk and during the night, taking  small insects such as winged ants, mosquitoes, beetles, moths and grasshoppers.

Breeding:
The lesser nighthawk breeds in April-July. They nest on the ground, often among rocks or gravel, and the female lays 2 pinkish-yellow eggs with grey speckles. The eggs are incubated by the female for 18-20 days. The chicks are fed by the mother and fledge 20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as scarce. In the United States the population has undergone a small increase in the last 4 decades, but this represents less than 50% of the species range and in other areas they are likely affected by habitat loss.

Sulawesi eared-nightjar

Eurostopodus diabolicus

Photo by David Beadle (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Sulawesi eared-nightjar (en); noitibó-diabólico (pt); engoulevent satanique (fr); chotacabras diabólico (es); teufelsnachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it is confined on the mountain ranges in the north and centre of the island.

Size:
These birds are 26-27 cm long.

Habitat:
The Sulawesi eared-nightjar is found in evergreen rainforests, at altitudes of 250-2.100 m, tolerating at least selective logging.

Diet:
They feed on insects caught in flight, particularly moths and beetles, hunting at twilight and in the night.

Breeding:
Sulawesi eared-nightjars breed in March-October. They nest on the ground, in forest clearing with some fern and moss cover, where the female lays a single cream-coloured with with brown speckles. There is no information regarding the incubation period, but the chick fledges about 30 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species seems to have a small breeding range, although it may be more widespread and overlooked. The population is estimated at 2.500-10.000 individuals and suspected to be declining at a moderate rate, mostly due to forest habitat loss and fragmentation at lower altitudes, owing to land clearance for transmigration settlements, shifting cultivation, plantation agriculture and large-scale logging. The forests at higher altitudes are currently relatively secure.

Fiery-necked nightjar

Caprimulgus pectoralis

Photo by Dave Maguire (Wikipedia)

Common name:
fiery-necked nightjar (en); noitibó-de-pescoço-dourado (pt); engoulevent musicien (fr); chotacabras músico (es); pfeifnachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae

Range:
This African species is found from southern Kenya and Tanzania, though southern D.R. Congo and Angola, and into northern Namibia, Zimbabwe, eastern Botswana and eastern South Africa down to the cape.

Size:
These birds are 22-24 cm long and weigh 35-70 g.

Habitat:
The fiery-necked nightjar is mostly found in dry savannas and woodlands with dense leaf litter for nesting and roosting, but also in dry scrublands, grasslands, plantations and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous and hunt from dusk to dawn, mainly eating beetles and moths, but also cockroaches, termites, lacewings, grasshoppers, bees, wasps, ants, flies, bugs and scale-insects.

Breeding:
Fiery-necked nightjars are monogamous and mate for life. The nest is a simple depression in the ground, usually in and surrounded by dense leaf litter, where the female lays 2 eggs. The eggs are incubated by both sexes for about 18-19 days, with the female incubating during the day while the male takes the night shift. The chicks are cared for by both parents. They start walking around the nest about 8 days after hatching, only being able to fly 3 weeks later. The parents usually desert their territory and chicks when they reach 30 days of age, but the brood only leaves the territory approximately 5 months later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally quite common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Spotted nightjar

Eurostopodus argus

Photo by Lindsay Hansch (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
spotted nightjar (en); noitibó-malhado (pt); engoulevent argus (fr); chotacabras argos (es); Argusnachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae

Range:
This species is found throughout most of Australia, with the exception of the eastern coast from central Queensland to south-eastern South Australia. The more southern population migrate north to winter in northern Australia, the Indonesian islands in the Banda Sea and possibly also in New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 27-35 cm long and weigh 75-130 g.

Habitat:
The spotted nightjar is mainly found in open woodlands, savannas and grasslands, but also in Acacia scrublands and mangroves.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects and other arthropods, which they usually catch in flight at very low altitudes, just 20-30 cm above the ground. They sometimes also forage on the ground.

Breeding:
Spotted nightjars breed in August-February. They don't build a nest, laying the egg on bare soil or among the leaf litter. The female lays a single greenish, olive or yellowish egg with purple spots, which is incubated by both parents for 29-33 days. The chick will make its first flight attempts 15-20 days after hatching, but only becomes independent about 30 days after hatching. As soon as the young leave the nest the female may lay another egg and each pair may raise 1-3 chicks per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as widespread but only locally abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Rufous-cheeked nightjar

Caprimulgus rufigena

(Photo from River's Wild Notes)

Common name:
rufous-cheeked nightjar (en); noitibó-de-faces-ruivas (pt); engoulevent à joues rousses (fr); chotacabras carirrojo (es); rostwangen-nachtschwalbe (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae


Range:
This African species is found from Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe, through Namibia and Botswana and into South Africa and western Mozambique.


Size:
These birds are 24 cm long and weigh 50-60 g.


Habitat:
The rufous-cheeked nightjar is mostly found in dry savannas and open mopane and miombo woodlands, but also in dry scrubland, freshwater marshes, plantations and arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.600 m.


Diet:
They are strictly insectivorous, taking beetles, butterflies and moths, cockroaches, termites, mantids, lacewings, grasshoppers, wasps and ants.


Breeding:
Rufous-cheeked nightjars breed in September-March. They nest in a natural, shallow depressions in coarse soil, where the female lays 1-2 light reddish-brown eggs with lilac markings. The eggs are incubated for 15-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-20 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. The rufous-cheeked nightjar is in fact tolerant of areas disturbed by humans.

Jungle nightjar

Caprimulgus indicus

(Photo from Living into the Wild)

Common name:

jungle nightjar (en); noitibó-da-selva (pt); engoulevent indien (fr); chotacabras de jungla (es); dschungelnachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Caprimulgiformes

Family Caprimulgidae

Range:

This Asia species is found from India and Pakistan, throughout south-east Asia, and into China, Japan and eastern Russia.

Size:

The jungle nightjar is 21-29 cm long and weighs 70-110 g.

Habitat:

This species is mostly found in dense, tropical and subtropical dry forests, but it may also be found near farms, arable land, plantations and dry scrublands. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 3.300 m.

Diet:

Jungle nightjars forage at dusk and during the night, mostly hunting insects on the wing.

Breeding:

These birds breed in March-June. They nest in a slight depression in the ground, usually under some low bush. There the female lays 2 salmon-pink eggs with brown blotches. The eggs are mostly incubated by the female, but with some help by the male, and hatch after 16-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18 days after hatching.

Conservation

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally common. Although this species is sometimes the target of hunting or food, the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Eurasian nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Common name:

Eurasian nightjat (en); noitibó-da-Europa (pt); engoulevent d'Europe (fr); chotacabras gris (es); ziegenmelker (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Caprimulgiformes

Family Caprimulgidae

Range:

These birds breed throughout Europe, with the exception of Iceland, northern Scotland and northern Scandinavia. Then, through Turkey, southern Russia and the Caucasus, into Iraq and Iran, and all the way to Kazakhstan, Pakistan and western China. They winter in sub-Saharan Africa, in the western parts of the Sahel, and along the Indian ocean coast, from Somalia down to South Africa.

Size:

Eurasian nightjars are 24-28 cm long and have a wingspan of 52-59 cm. They weigh 67-78 g.

Habitat:

They mostly breed in heathland, moorland, sand dunes and young conifer plantations, requiring low, sparse vegetation to nest in. They forage on a wider range of habitats, preferring heathlands, deciduous or mixed woodlands, orchards, riparian and freshwater habitats, and gardens.

Diet:

Eurasian nightjars hunt for insects on the wing, from dusk until dawn. Their prey includes moths, flies, craneflies, beetles, and ants.

Breeding:

These breed in May-August. The nests are selected by males and are usually a shallow scrape on bare ground amongst heather or bracken. There the females lays 1-3 creamy white eggs mottled with brown and purple. The eggs are incubated for 17-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 16-17 days after hatching. If the first brood is produced early in the season, a second brood may be possible.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 2-6 million individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, pesticide use reducing the availability of food, disturbance and poor winter survival in their African wintering grounds. Despite this the species is not considered threatened at present.

Pennant-winged nightjar

Macrodipteryx vexillarius

Photo by Phil Palmer (Biodiversity Explorer)

Common name:

pennant-winged nightjar (en); noitibó-de-balanceiros (pt); engoulevent porte-étendard (fr); chotacabras cuelgacintas (es); ruderflügel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Caprimulgiformes

Family Caprimulgidae

Range:

This African species mostly breeds south of the Equator, in Angola, Zaire, Tanzania, northern Namibia, north-east Botswana, Mozambique and the northernmost parts of South Africa. Some population migrate north towards areas from Cameroon and Nigeria, to Sudan, D. R. Congo and Uganda.

Size:

These birds are 24-26 cm long (not including the extra-long 9th primary which can grow up to twice the body length), and have a wingspan of 45-55 cm. They weigh 60-90 g with females often being heavier than males.

Habitat:

The pennant-winged nightjar generally prefers mature broad-leaved woodland with plenty of leaf litter, especially if it has a substratum of sand, stone or burnt ground.

Diet:

They are insectivorous, doing most of their foraging over broad clearings at dusk and just before daybreak, catching prey aerially. The diet includes Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, termites, Lepidoptera, Dermaptera and Neuroptera.

Breeding:

The pennant-winged nightjar is a polygynous solitary nester, with male having little part in the breeding process other than fertilizing females. the breeding season takes place in September-January, with a peak in October-November. The nest is an unlined scrap in the soil, usually shaded by a tall tree, where the female lays 1-2 eggs. She than incubates the eggs alone for 15-18 days. Little is known about the development and care of the chicks.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

Although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is reported to be common and locally abundant throughout much of its very large breeding range. This species is not considered theatened at present.

Whip-poor-will

Caprimulgus vociferus

Photo by Michael Drummond (Albany Pine Bush News)

Common name:

whip-poor-will (en); noitibó-cantor (pt); engoulevent bois-pourri (fr); chotacabras cuerporruín (es); schwarzkehl-nachtschwalbe (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Caprimulgiformes

Family Caprimulgidae

Range:

The birds are found in south-eastern Canada and in the eastern half of the United States. They can also be found in the southwest of the United States, in California, Nevada and Texas, and some birds migrate south to Central America from Mexico all the way down to Panama.

Size:

This medium-sized nightjar is 22-26 cm long. They have a wingspan of 45-48 cm and can weigh up to 64 g.

Habitat:

The habitat of the whip-poor-will includes open country for foraging and woodland for nesting. They are mostly found in tropical lowland evergreen forests, in pine forests and in pine-oak forests, up to an altitude of 3.200 m.

Diet:

These nocturnal birds hunt for insects in flight, mostly eating moths.

Breeding:

The whip-poor-will nests on the ground, among the leaf litter. The female lays 2 cream-coloured eggs with darker spots. The eggs are incubated for 19-20 days and the chicks fledge after 20 days.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The species has a very wide breeding range and a population of 2 million. Although they may be declining in some areas, the species is not considered threatened at present.