Ladder-tailed Nightjar

Overview

The ladder-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca) is a species of bird in the nightjar family Caprimulgidae and one of four species in the genus Hydropsalis. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Highly camouflaged plumage resembling ground cover, featuring broken colours of white, dark and light grey, and brown, especially around the neck and head.
• Large eyes and a wide gape, adaptations suited to hunting airborne insects at night.

Habitat

Found in the Amazon Basin across Brazil, the Guianas, Suriname, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, rivers, and freshwater lakes. The range does not extend east of the Amazon River outlet, with a notable exception in the vicinity of Maranhão, Brazil.

Diet

This species hunts airborne insects at night. It possesses large eyes and a large wide gape to facilitate this feeding strategy.

Did you know?

The bird's specific epithet, climacocerca, derives from the Ancient Greek words klimax or klimakos meaning 'ladder' and kerkos meaning 'tail'. It also exhibits a distraction display to lead unwary predators away from the nest, young, or eggs.