Owlet-nightjars are small crepuscular birds related to the nightjars and frogmouths. Most are native to New Guinea, but some species extend to Australia, the Moluccas, and New Caledonia. A flightless species from New Zealand is extinct. There is a single monotypic family Aegothelidae with the genus Aegotheles.
The Australian owlet-nightjar is a nocturnal bird found in open woodland across Australia and in southern New Guinea. It is colloquially known as the moth owl. It is the most common nocturnal bird in Australia, and despite suffering from predation and competition by introduced species it is not considered threatened.
The jungle owlet or barred jungle owlet is native to the Indian Subcontinent. The species is often found singly, in pairs or small groups and they are usually detected by their calls at dawn and dusk. There are two subspecies with that found in the Western Ghats sometimes considered a full species.
The Satanic nightjar, also Heinrich's nightjar, is a mid-sized, spotted, dark brown nightjar endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The species was discovered in 1931 by Gerd Heinrich, a German natural historian who collected a single female holotype from Mount Klabat on the Minahasa peninsula of Northern Sulawesi. In the following decades, there were a few unconfirmed reports of sightings and calls of the bird, but it did not officially resurface until 1996 when David Bishop and Jared Diamond positively identified it in Lore Lindu National Park by its sound. Making the visible rediscovery available for multiple people in the tour group including poet and writer Jan Zwaaneveld. This increased the bird's estimated range by 750 km. It has since been observed and described in the literature multiple times.
The buff-collared nightjar or Ridgway's whip-poor-will is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the U.S. states of Arizona and New Mexico.
The rufous-legged owl is a medium-sized owl. It is found in Argentina and Chile.
The Hispaniolan nightjar is a nightjar species endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The spot-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.
The white-throated nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to eastern Australia; it is a non-breeding winter visitor in Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.
The least poorwill or least pauraque is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae, and the only confirmed extant species of its genus. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The lyre-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The swallow-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The African barred owlet is a species of small owl in the family Strigidae found in much of southern, central and eastern Africa. The taxon may be four species rather than a single species.
The mountain owlet-nightjar is a species of bird in the family Aegothelidae. It is found in the highlands of New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Archbold's owlet-nightjar is a species of bird in the family Aegothelidae. It is found mainly in West Papua. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is named after American explorer Richard Archbold.
The Moluccan owlet-nightjar, also known as the long-whiskered owlet-nightjar, is a species of bird in the family Aegothelidae. It is endemic to the northern Moluccas.
The feline owlet-nightjar is a species of bird in the family Aegothelidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The starry owlet-nightjar, also known as the spangled owlet-nightjar, is a species of bird in the family Aegothelidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests It is threatened by habitat loss.
Wallace's owlet-nightjar is a species of bird in the family Aegothelidae. It is found in New Guinea.
The Vogelkop owlet-nightjar or allied owlet-nightjar, is a species of bird in the family Aegothelidae. It can be found in New Guinea. It is known from Bird's Head Peninsula and Eastern Highlands Province.
