Todd's nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, and Venezuela.
Region
Guiana Shield and northern Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in northern South America, recorded in Brazil (north), Colombia (east), Guyana, and Venezuela. Prefers open to semi-open habitats such as savannas, white-sand scrub (campinarana), forest edges, and riverine sandbars. Often uses disturbed openings like roadsides and clearings adjacent to forest. Roosts on bare ground or leaf litter with excellent camouflage.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Todd's nightjar is a small, cryptic nightjar named after the American ornithologist W. E. Clyde Todd. It roosts on the ground by day, relying on mottled plumage for camouflage, and becomes active at dusk to hawk insects in open habitats. Like many nightjars, it may forage around road edges and near lights where insects congregate.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
buoyant, moth-like flight with short rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Nests directly on the ground without a constructed nest, laying one to two eggs among leaf litter. Adults rely on stillness and cryptic plumage to avoid detection and may perform distraction displays if approached.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
The song is a soft, repetitive series of whistled or trilled notes delivered at dusk and night. Calls include short chup or tik notes, often given from the ground or a low perch.
Plumage
Finely mottled and vermiculated gray-brown with rufous and buff speckling, providing strong camouflage against leaf litter and soil.
Diet
Feeds almost exclusively on flying insects such as moths, beetles, termites, and orthopterans captured on the wing. Often sallies from the ground or low perches to intercept prey. May forage along forest edges, over savanna openings, and around lights where insects gather.
Preferred Environment
Open and semi-open habitats with nearby cover, including savannas, white-sand shrublands, and riverbanks. Frequently uses roads, tracks, and clearings for foraging flights.
