| Golden nightjar | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family: | Caprimulgidae |
| Genus: | Caprimulgus |
| Species: | C. eximius |
| Binomial name | |
| Caprimulgus eximius | |
The golden nightjar (Caprimulgus eximius) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Sahel region in northern Sub-Saharan Africa.
The golden nightjar is a distinctively coloured, smallish nightjar which measures 23–25 cm in length. When at rest the golden nightjar appears large headed and the upperparts and wing coverts are tawny buff marked with greyish-white, dark brown edged and speckled, square shaped spots. It has a large whitish patch on its throat, the upper breast is similarly marked to the upperparts but this fades towards the unmarked tawny-buff lower breast and belly. In flight it shows a large white spot towards the tips of the wings and in poor light it appears very pale. Both sexes are alike. [3]
The Golden nightjar's song is low pitched churr which may last quite a long time and is delivered at dawn and dusk from the ground. [3]
The golden nightjar occurs from northern Senegal and Mauritania in the west eastwards to Sudan. [3] In 2015 a female golden nightjar was seen and it, or another, was later found dead in southern Western Sahara and in 2016 a number of birds were noted in the same area suggesting that it may host a breeding population. In 2019, the breeding of the species in the area was confirmed. [4] These were the first records of this species in the Palearctic.
The golden nightjar occurs in arid steppes and semi-desert, also on rock, gravelly or stony terrain with clumps of vegetation. It avoids dense scrub or woodland. [3]
The golden nightjar is active at dawn and dusk and through the night, roosting on the ground during the day and tending to shuffle out of the way of approaching animals rather than flushing. It has been recorded feeding over waterbodies at dusk, its diet is made up of larger insects. The normal clutch is 2 eggs which lare laid on the ground, usually near a clump of vegetation. Egg laying has been recorded in April–May in the west and March–April in Sudan. [3]
The European nightjar, common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar, is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northwestern China. The Latin generic name refers to the old myth that the nocturnal nightjar suckled from goats, causing them to cease to give milk. The six subspecies differ clinally, the birds becoming smaller and paler towards the east of the range. All populations are migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Their densely patterned grey and brown plumage makes individuals difficult to see in the daytime when they rest on the ground or perch motionless along a branch, although the male shows white patches in the wings and tail as he flies at night.
The Egyptian nightjar is a medium-small nightjar which occurs in south west Asia and north Africa and winters in tropical Africa. This is a fairly common species with a wide distribution which faces no obvious threats apart from habitat destruction, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The tawny-flanked prinia is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Prinia in the family Cisticolidae, a family of Old World warblers. It is widespread and common in most parts of Africa south of the Sahara. The plain prinia of southern Asia was formerly included in this species but is now usually considered to be a separate species.
The Indian nightjar is a small nightjar which is a resident breeder in open lands across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Like most nightjars it is crepuscular and is best detected from its characteristic calls at dawn and dusk that have been likened to a stone skipping on a frozen lake - a series of clicks that become shorter and more rapid. They are sometimes spotted on roads when their eyes gleam red in the spotlight of a vehicle. There is considerable plumage variation across its range and can be hard to differentiate from other nightjars in the region especially in the field.
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.
Anthony's nightjar, also known as the scrub nightjar, is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
The Yucatan nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras.
Bates's nightjar or the forest nightjar, is a bird species of the family Caprimulgidae, found in the rainforests of western Sub-Saharan Africa.
The white-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the tropic regions of Central and South America.
The Cuban nightjar, is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Cuba.
The Hispaniolan nightjar is a nightjar species endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The pygmy nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
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 tawny-collared nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Mexico.
The dusky nightjar or dusky whip-poor-will is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
The silky-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar birds in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The Roraiman nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.
The spotted nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It inhabits much of mainland Australia and has also been found in several Indonesian islands. Its natural habitats are open forests and woodlands, scrub, spinifex and tussock grassland, savannah woodland and mangroves.
The scissor-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is distributed over much of eastern South America.
The lyre-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
