Fiery-necked Nightjar

Overview

The fiery-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus pectoralis) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae found mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. It is an insectivorous bird that is most active at dawn, dusk, and night.

Identification

• A relatively small bird, 23 to 25 cm in length, with variegated grayish-brown and brownish-white plumage.
• Distinguished by a tawny rufous collar at the back of the neck and a large white throat patch.
• Features long rictal bristles around the beak and dark eyes, with males possessing white spots on outer wing feathers and tail tips.
• Best known for a mellow song resembling "Good Lord, deliver us," typically heard at dusk and dawn.

Habitat

This terrestrial species is widely distributed across southeastern Africa, with some records in central and western Africa. It favours Brachystegia-dominated woodland savannas but also inhabits forests, shrublands, grasslands, and occasionally suburban gardens.

Diet

The fiery-necked nightjar is an insectivore that prefers butterflies, moths, beetles, cockroaches, termites, and mantids. It forages by hawking, swooping off a perch to catch insects in flight.

Did you know?

Chicks produce quick "wee-you" calls that have been heard even while they are still inside their eggs.