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 New Caledonian owlet-nightjar, also known as the enigmatic owlet-nightjar, is a large owlet-nightjar with vermiculated grey-brown and black plumage. It has a long, slightly rounded tail, short, rounded wings, and long, stout legs. Its voice is unknown, but other owlet-nightjar species make churring and whistling sounds. It is the second-largest known owlet-nightjar, much larger than the Australian owlet-nightjar.
The New Zealand owlet-nightjar is an extinct, comparatively large species of owlet-nightjar formerly endemic to the islands of New Zealand. Fossil remains indicate the species was once widespread across both the North Island and the South Island.
The Mascarene swiftlet or Mauritius swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Mauritius and Réunion, and the populations on the two islands have recently been confirmed to differ subspecifically. The nominate race francicus is found on Mauritius and the recently described race saffordi occurs on Réunion. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, caves, arable land, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Sulawesi nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it occurs on Sulawesi and the Sula Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
Bonaparte's nightjar, also known as the Sunda nightjar, is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the islands of Sumatra, Belitung and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The collared nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
The large-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found along the southern Himalayan foothills, eastern South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. This species is a resident of the countries of Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
The Madagascar nightjar or Madagascan nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is native to Madagascar, Nosy Boraha and Aldabra. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
The Philippine nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its local names are kandarapa (Tagalog) and tagolilong (Cebuano).
Salvadori's nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found in Sumatra and Java.
Archbold's nightjar, also known as the mountain eared-nightjar or cloud-forest nightjar, is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the highlands of New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is named after American explorer Richard Archbold.
The Papuan nightjar or Papuan eared-nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
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.
The barred owlet-nightjar is a species of bird in the owlet-nightjar family Aegothelidae. It is found in New Guinea. The species was originally thought to be the same species as the Australian owlet-nightjar, until that species was found within the range of the barred owlet-nightjar. It was also considered to be the same species as the Vogelkop owlet-nightjar. There are three subspecies, the nominate, from south-eastern New Guinea, A. b. wiedenfeldi from northern New Guinea, and A. b. plumifer from the D’Entrecasteaux Islands.
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.
Blyth’s frogmouth is a species of bird in the family Podargidae. It was previously considered to be conspecific with the Javan frogmouth and Palawan frogmouth. The bird is a tropical species that ranges from India to Australia.
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.
