Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

Overview

The rufous-bellied nighthawk, also known as Taczanowski's nighthawk, is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is a monotypic species that was historically treated as a subspecies of the short-tailed nighthawk before being reinstated as a distinct species.

Identification

• Length of 23 to 25 cm (9.1 to 9.8 in).
• Uppersides and wings are dark brown with rufous and buff spots and speckles.
• Tail is brown with tawny or greyish-brown bars and a pale tip; belly and flanks are tawny buff.
• Song consists of a rapidly delivered series of notes that gradually descend in pitch, described as kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-ko.

Habitat

Found in the Andes of western Venezuela, the eastern and central Andes of Colombia, the west side of much of the Ecuadoran Andes, and the east side of the Andes through Ecuador and Peru into Bolivia. It inhabits humid montane cloudforest, at elevations between 1,500 and 3,450 m (4,900 and 11,000 ft) in at least Ecuador and Peru.

Diet

Feeds on the wing, and although its diet has not been studied, it is assumed to consist of insects.

Did you know?

It is assumed to lay its single egg directly on a horizontal branch, similar to its congener the short-tailed nighthawk, though its specific breeding phenology remains unstudied.