Rufous nightjar
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Antrostomus rufus

The rufous nightjar (Antrostomus rufus ) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

Appearance

The rufous nightjar is 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 12 in) long. Males weight 88 to 98 g (3.1 to 3.5 oz) and females 89 to 98 g (3.1 to 3.5 oz). It is almost entirely reddish brown, with a buff collar on the sides and back of the neck and a white band under the throat. The upperparts have dark brown streaks, the wings are spotted and barred with dark brown, and the underparts are speckled with dark brown and white. The wings have no white, unlike those of many others of its family. The outer three pairs of tail feathers of the male have a large white spot at the end; those of the female have a pale buff tip. The subspecies differ somewhat in the intensity of the various colors and the size and extent of spots and speckles. A. r. saltarius, however, is significantly grayer than the others.

Distribution

Geography

The rufous nighjar has a highly discontinuous distribution. The subspecies are found thus:

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  • A. r. minimus, southern Costa Rica, Panama, and east along the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Venezuela to Trinidad
  • A. r. rufus, discontinuously in eastern Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname, and central Brazil
  • A. r. otiosus, St. Lucia (Lesser Antilles)
  • A. r. rutilus, southeastern Bolivia and central Brazil south to Paraguay and northeastern Argentina
  • A. r. saltarius, southern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina

The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) also places the species in Ecuador and Peru but does not note which subspecies are there.

The St. Lucia endemic subspecies of rufous nightjar (A. r. otiosus ) inhabits dry scrub. The other subspecies inhabit a wide variety of landscapes from scrublands to primary and secondary forest. The landscapes vary in humidity from the dry Gran Chaco to the humid Amazon basin.

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Rufous nightjar habitat map
Rufous nightjar habitat map
Rufous nightjar
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Habits and Lifestyle

The rufous nightjar is most active at dawn and dusk. It roosts during the day, either on a low perch or on the ground under thick vegetation.

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

The rufous nightjar forages by sallies from a low perch such as a branch or fencepost. Its diet is insects though details are lacking.

Mating Habits

The rufous nightjar lays its clutch of one or two eggs on bare ground without a conventional nest. It is usually hidden in low vegetation. The female incubates during the day.

Population

Population number

The IUCN has assessed the rufous nightjar as being of Least Concern. It has a vary large range and population, though the latter is believed to be decreasing. No immeditate threats have been identified.

References

1. Rufous nightjar Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufous_nightjar
2. Rufous nightjar on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22689781/163505520
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/607923

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