Nightjars
Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, and Whip-poor-will, Caprimulgus vociferus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Caprimulgidae Vigors, 1825
Genera
Nyctiprogne Podager Lurocalis Chordeiles Nyctidromus Phalaenoptilus Siphonorhis Nyctiphrynus Caprimulgus Macrodipteryx Hydropsalis Uropsalis Macropsalis Eleothreptus

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Nightjars are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats (the Latin for goatsucker is Caprimulgus). Some North American species are named as nighthawks. Cryptids are creatures presumed extinct, hypothetical species, or creatures known from anecdotal evidence and/or other evidence insufficient to prove their existence with scientific certainty. ... For other uses, see Chupacabra (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 416 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (711 × 1024 pixel, file size: 201 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... Binomial name Chordeiles minor (Forster,JR,, 1771) The Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, is a nightjar. ... Binomial name Caprimulgus vociferus Wilson, 1812 The Whip-poor-will or whippoorwill, Caprimulgus vociferus, is a medium-sized (22-27 cm) nightjar, a type of nocturnal bird. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Families Steatornithidae Podargidae Aegothelidae Nyctibiidae Caprimulgidae The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes the cosmopolitan nightjars, the frogmouths of Australasia and Southeast Asia, the South American potoos and Oilbird, and the Australasian owlet-nightjars. ... Nicholas Aylward Vigors (1785 – October 26, 1840) was an Irish zoologist and politician. ... Nyctiprogne is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Vieillot, 1817) The Nacunda Nighthawk (Podager nacunda) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Lurocalis is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Chordeiles is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name Nyctidromus albicollis ( Gmelin, 1789) The Pauraque, Nyctidromus albicollis, is a nightjar. ... Binomial name Audubon, 1844 The Common Poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii, is a nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, the nightjars. ... Species see text Siphonorhis, the Caribbean pauraques, are a genus of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. ... Nyctiphrynus is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Species Many, see text Caprimulgus is a large and very widespread genus of nightjars, medium-sized nocturnal birds with long pointed wings, short legs and short bills. ... Macrodipteryx is a genus of African nightjars consisting of two species. ... Hydropsalis is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Uropsalis is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Bonnaparte, 1850) Synonyms Macropsalis forcipata (Bonnaparte, 1850) The Long-trained Nightjar (Macropsalis creagra) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Eleothreptus is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

Nightjars are found around the world. They are mostly active in the late evening and early morning or at night, and feed predominantly on moths and other large flying insects.

Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. Some species, unusually for birds, perch along a branch, rather than across it. This helps to conceal them during the day.

The Common Poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii is unique as a bird that undergoes a form of hibernation, becoming torpid and with a much reduced body temperature for weeks or months. Binomial name Audubon, 1844 The Common Poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii, is a nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, the nightjars. ...

Nightjars lay one or two patterned eggs directly onto bare ground.

Systematics

Traditionally, nightjars have been divided into two subfamilies: the Caprimulginae, or typical nightjars with about 70 species, and the Chordeilinae, or nighthawks of the New World with about 9 species. The two groups are similar in most respects, but the typical nightjars have rictal bristles, longer bills, and softer plumage. In their pioneering DNA-DNA hybridisation work, Sibley and Ahlquist found that the genetic difference between the eared-nightjars and the typical nightjars was, in fact, greater than that between the typical nightjars and the nighthawks of the New World. Accordingly, they placed the eared-nightjars in a separate family: Eurostopodidae. “Goatsucker” redirects here. ... For the stealth aircraft, see F-117 Nighthawk. ... Genera Nyctiprogne Podager Lurocalis Chordeiles Nighthawks are birds of the nightjar family in the New World subfamily Chordeilinae. ... DNA-DNA hybridization is a method in genetics to measure the degree of genetic similarity between DNA sequences. ... Charles Sibley (August 7, 1917 - April 12, 1998) was an American ornithologist and molecular biologist. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... Species see text The Eared-nightjars are a small family of birds related to nightjars. ...

Subsequent work, both morphological and genetic, has provided support for the separation of the typical and the eared-nightjars, and some authorities have adopted this Sibley-Ahlquist recommendation, and also the more far-reaching one to group all the owls (traditionally Strigiformes) together in the Caprimulgiformes. The listing below retains a more orthodox arrangement, but recognises the eared-nightjars as a separate group. For more detail and an alternative classification scheme, see Caprimulgiformes and Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy. For other uses, see Owl (disambiguation). ... Families Steatornithidae Podargidae Aegothelidae Nyctibiidae Caprimulgidae The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes the cosmopolitan nightjars, the frogmouths of Australasia and Southeast Asia, the South American potoos and Oilbird, and the Australasian owlet-nightjars. ... Families Steatornithidae Podargidae Aegothelidae Nyctibiidae Caprimulgidae The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes the cosmopolitan nightjars, the frogmouths of Australasia and Southeast Asia, the South American potoos and Oilbird, and the Australasian owlet-nightjars. ... The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a radical bird taxonomy based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies conducted in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. ...

European Nightjar

• Subfamily Chordeilinae (nighthawks)
  • Genus Nyctiprogne
    • Band-tailed Nighthawk, Nyctiprogne leucopyga
    • Plain-tailed Nighthawk, Nyctiprogne vielliardi
  • Genus Podager - Nacunda Nighthawk
  • Genus Lurocalis
    • Rufous-bellied Nighthawk, Lurocalis rufiventris
    • Short-tailed Nighthawk, Lurocalis semitorquatus
  • Genus Chordeiles
    • Least Nighthawk, Chordeiles pusillus
    • Sand-coloured Nighthawk, Chordeiles rupestris
    • Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor
    • Lesser Nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis
    • Antillean Nighthawk, Chordeiles gundlachii
• Subfamily Caprimulginae (typical nightjars)
  • Genus Nyctidromus - Pauraque
  • Genus Phalaenoptilus - Common Poorwill
  • Genus Siphonorhis
    • Jamaican Pauraque, Siphonorhis americana - extinct (late 19th century); rumors of survival
    • Least Pauraque, Siphonorhis brewsteri
    • Cuban Parauque, Siphonorhis daiquiri - extinct (prehistoric); rumors of survival
  • Genus Nyctiphrynus
    • Eared Poorwill, Nyctiphrynus mcleodii
    • Ocellated Poorwill, Nyctiphrynus ocellatus
    • Yucatan Poorwill, Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus
  • Genus Caprimulgus (some 50-60 species)
  • Genus Macrodipteryx (long-primaried nightjars)
    • Standard-winged Nightjar, Macrodipteryx longipennis
    • Pennant-winged Nightjar, Macrodipteryx vexillarius
  • Genus Hydropsalis
    • Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Hydropsalis brasiliana
    • Ladder-tailed Nightjar, Hydropsalis climacocerca
  • Genus Uropsalis
    • Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Uropsalis lyra
    • Swallow-tailed Nightjar, Uropsalis segmentata
  • Genus Macropsalis
    • Long-trained Nightjar, Macropsalis creagra
  • Genus Eleothreptus
    • Sickle-winged Nightjar, Eleothreptus anomalus

Also see a list of nightjars, sortable by common and binomial names. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (827x635, 565 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nightjar European Nightjar Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (827x635, 565 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nightjar European Nightjar Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Binomial name Caprimulgus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758 The European Nightjar, or just Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, is the only representative of the nightjar family of birds in most of Europe and temperate Asia. ... Genera Nyctiprogne Podager Lurocalis Chordeiles Nighthawks are birds of the nightjar family in the New World subfamily Chordeilinae. ... Nyctiprogne is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Spix, 1825) The Band-tailed Nighthawk (Nyctiprogne leucopyga) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Lencioni-Neto, 1994) The Plain-tailed Nighthawk (Nyctiprogne vielliardi) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Vieillot, 1817) The Nacunda Nighthawk (Podager nacunda) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Lurocalis is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name Taczanowski, 1884 The Rufous-bellied Nighthawk (Lurocalis rufiventris) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Gmelin, 1789) The Short-tailed Nighthawk (Lurocalis semitorquatus) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Chordeiles is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name Gould, 1861 The Least Nighthawk (Chordeiles pusillus) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Spix, 1825) The Sand-coloured Nighthawk (Chordeiles rupestris) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name Chordeiles minor (Forster,JR,, 1771) The Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, is a nightjar. ... Binomial name Chordeiles acutipennis (Hermann, 1783) The Lesser Nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis, is a nightjar. ... Binomial name Chordeiles gundlachii Lawrence, 1856 The Antillean Nighthawk, Chordeiles gundlachii, is a nightjar. ... Binomial name Nyctidromus albicollis ( Gmelin, 1789) The Pauraque, Nyctidromus albicollis, is a nightjar. ... Binomial name Audubon, 1844 The Common Poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii, is a nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, the nightjars. ... Species see text Siphonorhis, the Caribbean pauraques, are a genus of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) The Jamaican Pauraque (Siphonorhis americana) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Binomial name (Chapman, 1917) The Least Pauraque or Least Poorwill (Siphonorhis brewsteri) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Prehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists. ... Nyctiphrynus is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Brewster, 1888) The Eared Poorwill (Nyctiphrynus mcleodii) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Tschudi, 1844) The Ocellated Poorwill (Nyctiphrynus ocellatus) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Hartert, 1892) The Yucatan Poorwill (Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Species Many, see text Caprimulgus is a large and very widespread genus of nightjars, medium-sized nocturnal birds with long pointed wings, short legs and short bills. ... Macrodipteryx is a genus of African nightjars consisting of two species. ... Binomial name Macrodipteryx longipennis (Shaw, 1796) The Standard-winged Nightjar, Macrodipteryx longipennis, is a bird in the nightjar family. ... Binomial name (Gould, 1838) The Pennant-winged Nightjar is an intra African migrant that occurs from Nigeria to northern South Africa. ... Hydropsalis is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Gmelin, 1789) Synonyms Hydropsalis brasiliana (Gmelin, 1789) The Scissor-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Tschudi, 1844) The Ladder-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Uropsalis is a genus of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Bonaparte, 1850) The Lyre-tailed Nightjar (Uropsalis lyra) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Cassin, 1849) The Swallow-tailed Nightjar (Uropsalis segmentata) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Bonnaparte, 1850) Synonyms Macropsalis forcipata (Bonnaparte, 1850) The Long-trained Nightjar (Macropsalis creagra) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... Binomial name (Gould, 1838) The Sickle-winged Nightjar (Eleothreptus anomalus) is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. ... This is a list of nightjar and eared-nightjar species, sortable by common name or binomial. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Caprimulgidae

• Internet Bird Collection: Nightjar videos. Retrieved 2006-DEC-02.
• Nightjar sounds on xeno-canto.org