| Sand-coloured nighthawk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In Ucayali Region, Peru | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family: | Caprimulgidae |
| Genus: | Chordeiles |
| Species: | C. rupestris |
| Binomial name | |
| Chordeiles rupestris (Spix, 1825) | |
 | |
The sand-colored nighthawk (Chordeiles rupestris) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. [2] [3]
Major taxonomic systems recognize two subspecies of sand-colored nighthawk, the nominate Chordeiles rupestris rupestris and C. r. xylostictus. [2] [4] [5] However, at least two authors contend it is better treated as monotypic. [6] [7]
The sand-colored nighthawk is 20.5 to 22 cm (8.1 to 8.7 in) long. Its upperparts are pale grayish brown with darker brown streaks, bars, and spots. The chin and throat are white to buffy white, the breast grayish white with a cinnamon tinge and brown bars and spots, and the belly white with brown spots on its upper part. The underside of the wing is also mostly white. [8]
The nominate subspecies of sand-colored nighthawk is found widely in northwestern Amazonia of southeastern Colombia, southwestern Venezuela, northeastern Peru, and northwestern Brazil. It is also found more narrowly along river corridors in eastern Ecuador, Peru, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil. C. r. xylostictus is found only in Colombia's Cundinamarca Department. The species inhabits the western Amazon basin, primarily along watercourses but including oxbow lakes and grassy clearings such as airstrips. It is seldom found in areas above 500 m (1,600 ft) elevation. [8]
The sand-colored nighthawk is crepuscular and nocturnal. During the day it roosts on river islands and sandbars, often in large numbers. In times of high water it will roost in trees overhanging the water. [8]
The sand-colored nighthawk forages very actively at dusk and then on and off during the night. Its diet has not been studied in detail but is known to be entirely insects. Its flight has been described as less erratic than that of other nightjars, with an "oddly mechanical"" flapping that resembles that of terns. [8]
The sand-colored nighhawk's breeding season spans from May through August in southeastern Peru and from June to September in central Brazil but has not been defined in the rest of its range. They nest in loose colonies, often near those of yellow-billed tern, large-billed tern, and black skimmer. They lay their clutch of two eggs in a scrape on a sandbar. [8]
The sand-colored nighthawk apparently seldom sings, but it does so from the ground, "a gurgling purr...interspersed with quiet throat-clearing sound and loud grawh notes." It also makes a variety of other vocalizations when chasing another bird or defending a nest. [8]
The IUCN has assessed the sand-colored nighthawk as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range, and though its population is believed to be declining, the rate of decline is not thought to be fast enough for a more serious rating. No immediate threats have been identified. [1]
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 white-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the "ABC Islands", Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Martinique, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
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 blackish nightjar is a species of bird in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The little nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
The rufous nightjar 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.
The least nighthawk is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The scissor-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay.
The rufous-bellied nighthawk is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The short-tailed nighthawk is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Mexico, in every Central American country except El Salvador, in Trinidad and Tobago, and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.
The swallow-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The yellow-billed tern is a small seabird found in South America. It is a species of tern in the family Laridae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are rivers, swamps, and freshwater lakes.
The rufous potoo is a species of bird in the family Nyctibiidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela.
The Andean potoo is a species of bird in the family Nyctibiidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The sepia-brown wren or Sharpe's wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The buff-breasted wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in the Amazon Basin of northern Brazil and Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and northern-border Bolivia, and also the Guianan countries of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. It occurs in non-Amazonian regions of Venezuela and Colombia and its range extends into eastern Panama.
The Amazonian trogon, is a near passerine bird in the family Trogonidae, the trogons and quetzals. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
