Blackish nightjar
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Nyctipolus nigrescens

The blackish nightjar (Nyctipolus nigrescens ) is a species of bird in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Appearance

The blackish nightjar is 19.5 to 21.5 cm (7.7 to 8.5 in) long and weighs 32 to 39 g (1.1 to 1.4 oz). Its upperparts are blackish brown with tawny, grayish white, and cinnamon spots. Its tail is dark brown with indistinct lighter bars and mottling and (on the male) a white tip. The underparts to the belly are dark brown with paler baring; the belly and flanks are buffy with darker barring. The throat has a small white patch on either side. In flight the wing shows a small white band.

Distribution

Geography

The blackish nightjar is found east of the Andes in Peru, Ecuador, and southern Colombia, and across southern Colombia through southern Venezuela and the Guianas into northeastern and north-central Brazil. They inhabit lowland evergreen forest, but are mostly found on or near open rock outcroppings or on sand and gravel bars along small rivers. In elevation it ranges from sea level in Brazil to 900 m (3,000 ft) in Bolivia, 800 m (2,600 ft) in Colombia, 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in Ecuador, and 1,100 m (3,600 ft) in Venezuela.

Blackish nightjar habitat map
Blackish nightjar habitat map
Blackish nightjar
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Diet and Nutrition

The blackish nightjar is crepuscular and nocturnal. It forages on the wing from dusk to dawn over rock outcrops and above the forest canopy. It has also been recorded on foot picking prey from large rocks. Its diet has not been detailed but is known to include moths and beetles. During the day it roosts on rocks or fallen trees.

Mating Habits

The blackish nightjar's breeding season varies across its range but almost everywhere is during the long dry season of August to November. Males display to females by erecting the tail to show the white markings. Females lay a single egg, usually in a depression in bare rock though occasionally on bare sand or soil. They nest singly or sometimes in small loose colonies.

Population

Population number

The IUCN has assessed the blackish nightjar as being of Least Concern. Though its population size is not known, it is believed to be stable. It is common to abundant in suitable habitat.

References

1. Blackish nightjar Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackish_nightjar
2. Blackish nightjar on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22689862/93250263
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/257049

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