Short-tailed Nighthawk

Overview

The short-tailed nighthawk (Lurocalis semitorquatus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae that is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is characterised as a rather large nightjar with an unusually short tail.

Identification

• 19 to 21 cm long with dark brown to blackish upperparts featuring rufous and buff spots and speckles.
• Wings are dark brown with muted spots and lack the bold white markings found in most other nighthawks.
• Tail is brown with tawny or greyish bars and a narrow buffy or whitish band at the end.
• Common vocalisations include a constantly repeated, well-spaced "ewIT ... ewIT" or a sharp, slightly liquid "g'wik or gweek".

Habitat

Widely distributed across Central and northern South America, the species primarily inhabits lowland evergreen forest but also occurs in open landscapes such as clearings, river edges, and old cacao plantations. While northern populations are generally resident, southerly populations are migratory and may move as far north as Venezuela during the austral winter.

Diet

This species is an aerial insectivore that forages mostly at dusk, consuming prey such as beetles and true bugs. It usually forages singly or in pairs, though it sometimes appears in small flocks, displaying a rapid and erratic flight that has been compared to that of a bat.

Did you know?

The short-tailed nighthawk, along with the rufous-bellied nightjar, is one of the only members of its family known to nest in trees. It lays a single egg directly on a large horizontal branch without using any added nesting material.