The buff-collared nightjar or Ridgway's whip-poor-will is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the U.S. state of Arizona.
Region
Southwestern United States, Mexico, and northern Central America
Typical Environment
The buff-collared nightjar inhabits dry canyons, desert scrub, thorn forest, and open oak or pine-oak foothills. It favors rocky slopes with scattered shrubs, agave, and cacti, as well as edges of arid woodlands and riparian corridors in otherwise dry landscapes. It typically roosts on the ground or low limbs in shaded, leaf-littered sites. Breeding reaches southeastern Arizona, with a core range across western and southern Mexico into Guatemala and Honduras, and locally to Nicaragua.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also known as Ridgway's whip-poor-will, this nightjar is named for the buffy collar across its nape. It relies heavily on camouflage, roosting on the ground or low branches where its mottled plumage blends with leaf litter. In Arizona it is a sought-after nocturnal specialty, often detected by voice before sight. Its eyeshine is conspicuous in a flashlight beam, aiding nocturnal surveys.
Temperament
secretive and nocturnal
Flight Pattern
low, buoyant flight with short rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs during the breeding season. Nests directly on the ground on leaf litter without a constructed nest, often relying on camouflage. Pairs may remain near favored singing perches and foraging routes at dusk and dawn.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A loud, rhythmic series of clear whistles often rendered as whip-like or puk-will phrases, repeated persistently from exposed perches. Calls can carry far across canyons on calm nights, and soft chatter or clucks may be given in close interactions.
Plumage
Finely mottled brown, gray, and rufous with intricate vermiculation; distinct buffy collar across the nape.
Diet
Feeds almost entirely on flying insects such as moths, beetles, flying ants, and true bugs. Captures prey on the wing using a wide gape and rictal bristles to funnel insects. Also sallies from low perches and occasionally takes prey from the ground or foliage. Foraging activity tracks peaks of aerial insect abundance.
Preferred Environment
Hunts along open edges of scrub and woodland, over canyon washes, and along roads or trails where insects concentrate. Often forages near riparian strips within otherwise arid habitats and around agave or cacti stands that attract night-flying insects.
