Salvadori's nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found in Sumatra and Java.
Region
Greater Sunda Islands
Typical Environment
Endemic to Indonesia, it is found on Sumatra and Java, where it uses forest edges, secondary growth, and open patches within lowland to submontane forests. It frequents clearings, trails, and lightly wooded plantations near forest. By day it roosts on the ground or low open branches, relying on mottled plumage for concealment. It is most active at dusk and night, often foraging along forest margins and over open tracks.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Salvadori's nightjar is a cryptic, nocturnal insect-eater that relies on excellent camouflage, often roosting motionless on leaf litter by day. Males show small white patches in the wings and tail during display flights at dusk. It is named after the Italian ornithologist Tommaso Salvadori. The species is seldom seen, more often detected by its repetitive churring song.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
buoyant, moth-like flight with short rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, roosting on the ground by day and becoming active at dusk. Nests are simple scrapes on bare ground or leaf litter, with 1–2 eggs laid directly on the substrate. Likely monogamous during the breeding season, with males displaying at dusk using wing claps and aerial sallies.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A repetitive churring or trilled series delivered from the ground or a low perch at dusk and during the night. Also gives soft tchik or tsip contact notes while foraging.
