Slender-tailed Nightjar

Overview

The slender-tailed nightjar (Caprimulgus clarus) is a medium-sized nightjar species found in eastern and central Africa. It inhabits dry, open environments such as savanna and dry woodland, where it remains generally resident throughout its range.

Identification

• Medium-sized nightjar measuring 25–28 cm in length with cryptically patterned brown, grey, and black plumage that provides camouflage against dry ground and leaf litter.
• Head is relatively large and flattened with a small bill and a very wide gape adapted for catching insects in flight.
• Tail is long and tapered, with central feathers extending beyond the others, giving the species its common name.
• Males may show slightly more prominent pale patches on the wings, while sexes are otherwise similar in appearance.

Habitat

This species is distributed across eastern and parts of central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. It inhabits dry, open environments such as savanna, dry woodland, bushland, open scrub, rocky areas, and sparsely vegetated grassland, often associated with semi-arid regions and occasionally occurring near water sources.

Diet

The slender-tailed nightjar is nocturnal and insectivorous, foraging mainly at dusk and during the night. It captures flying insects such as moths and beetles on the wing.

Did you know?

Eggs are laid directly on bare ground without a constructed nest, usually in a shallow scrape among leaf litter or stones.