The slender-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Region
East and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from dry savannas and open bushland to lightly wooded areas and thorn scrub. It favors open ground with scattered trees or shrubs, including acacia country and edges of cultivation. Often uses tracks, riverbanks, and clearings for foraging flight paths. Roosts and nests on bare ground, leaf litter, or among low vegetation where its cryptic plumage provides concealment.
Altitude Range
0–2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This nocturnal nightjar uses superb mottled camouflage to roost on the ground by day and is most active at dusk and dawn. It hawks flying insects in silent, buoyant flight, often along tracks and open clearings. The male typically shows small white patches on the wings and outer tail used in display.
Temperament
solitary and crepuscular
Flight Pattern
buoyant with short rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in loose pairs outside the breeding season. Nests on bare ground without a constructed nest, laying eggs directly on leaf litter or soil. Relies on stillness and camouflage to avoid detection; adults may perform distraction displays if threatened.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, repetitive churring interspersed with short whistles or chips, most often given at dusk and during the night. Males may sing from the ground or low perches during display.
Plumage
Mottled gray-brown with rufous and black barring, giving a leaf-litter camouflage effect; slender tail with fine barring.
Diet
Feeds primarily on flying insects such as moths, beetles, termites, and flying ants. Hunts by aerial hawking, sallying out from the ground or low perches along open paths. Will opportunistically exploit insect swarms after rains and may forage near lights where insects congregate.
Preferred Environment
Open savanna, thorn scrub, and woodland edges where flight paths are unobstructed. Common along tracks, riverbeds, and clearings that provide low, level airspace for efficient foraging.
