The red-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis ) is the largest of the nightjars occurring in Europe. It breeds in Iberia and North Africa, and winters in tropical West Africa.
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe variegated plumage resembles the European nightjar. The adult is lichen-grey, barred and streaked with buff, chestnut and black. The underparts are barred. It is larger and longer-tailed than the more widespread species, and has a rufous neck-collar. Both sexes have white wing spots, tail sides and throat. During the day this nightjar lies silent upon the ground, concealed by its plumage; it is difficult to detect, looking like a bit of lichen-covered twig or a fragment of bark. The length is 32 cm, and the wingspan 64 cm. Like other nightjars, it has a wide gape, long wings, soft downy plumage and nocturnal habits.
The species has occurred as a vagrant twice in northern Europe, in Northumberland, Britain in October 1856, and in Denmark in 1991. The Northumberland bird was shot at Killingworth on 5 October by a gamekeeper, and the specimen purchased by John Hancock. In 2006, Keith Vinicombe and Dominic Mitchell cast doubt on the British record, believing that the lack of detail around the circumstances of finding indicated that a mistake or fraud could not be ruled out. The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee subsequently re-examined the record and came to the conclusion that it should continue to be regarded as acceptable. The British record is a first-autumn bird of the Iberian race ruficollis, and the Danish record also appears to be of this form; earlier suggestions that the British bird was of the North African race desertorum were erroneous – the specimen's paleness being due to fading whilst on public display at the Hancock Museum. There are also several nineteenth-century European records from outside the species' normal breeding range: from southeast France, Malta, the Canary Islands, Croatia, Israel and Sicily.
ce desertorum were erroneous – the specimen's paleness being due to fading whilst on public display at the Hancock Museum. There are also several nineteenth-century European records from outside the species' normal breeding range: from southeast France, Malta, the Canary Islands, Croatia, Israel and Sicily.
It is a late migrant, seldom appearing in the breeding area before the end of April or beginning of May. No nest is made; the two elongated and elliptical eggs are placed upon the bare ground; the brooding bird, sitting closely, is their best protection.
