White-tailed nightjar

The white-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the tropic regions of Central and South America.

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Distribution

Region

Central America and northern South America

Typical Environment

This species occurs from parts of Central America south through northern South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, northeastern Brazil, and Trinidad and Tobago. It favors open and semi-open habitats such as savannas, llanos, pastures, coastal scrub, and forest edges. It also uses sandy or gravelly clearings, airstrips, and lightly grazed fields. Daytime roosts are typically on bare ground or low horizontal branches where its mottled plumage blends with leaf litter.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1500 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size18–22 cm

Wing Span38–44 cm

Male Weight0.042 kg

Female Weight0.04 kg

Life Expectancy6 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

The white-tailed nightjar is a small, cryptically patterned nightjar notable for the male’s striking white outer tail feathers that flash in flight at dusk. It spends the day roosting on the ground or low branches, relying on camouflage, and becomes active at twilight to hunt flying insects. Its soft, repetitive calls carry over open savannas and scrub. It nests directly on the ground without building a traditional nest.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

solitary and crepuscular

Flight Pattern

buoyant and erratic with short glides and rapid wingbeats

Social Behavior

Typically seen alone or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Nests are simple ground scrapes where 1–2 eggs are laid, relying on camouflage rather than nest construction. Adults may perform distraction displays to lead intruders away from chicks. Roosting is usually on open ground or low horizontal branches during the day.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Song is a soft, repetitive trilling or churring phrase delivered from the ground or a low perch at dusk and dawn. Calls include sharp chips and soft whistles used in territorial and courtship contexts.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

White-tailed nuthatch

The white-tailed nuthatch is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It ranges across the northern and northeastern parts of the Indian Subcontinent, existing mainly in the low-to-middle Himalayas, as well as associated mountain ranges. It is found in Bhutan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet and Thailand.

White-tailed ptarmigan

The white-tailed ptarmigan, also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse tribe. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern".

White-tailed robin

The white-tailed robin is an Old World flycatcher in the family Muscicapidae. It ranges across the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent and adjacent areas of Southeast Asia. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

White-tailed shrike

The white-tailed shrike is a small passerine bird from the family Platysteiridae. It is also known as the chatshrike or ground batis. It occurs only in western Angola and Namibia in thorn scrub. It forages from ground level, where it hops about in large bounds and upright posture, to 25m above ground, scanning for insects. The very short tail, with a small black mark at the tip of the central two feathers, is always carried down, never sticking up. Its range of calls includes loud ringing territorial whistles.