© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Brufut Woods, Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Long Tailed Nightjar
Latin: Caprimulgus climacurus
Other: Engoulevent à longue queue (Fr), Noitibó-rabilongo (Pt), Langstaartnachtzwaluw (Nl)
Family: Caprimulgidae • Nightjars
Range: C, WC, W Africa incl Gambia
Similar:

A Long-tailed Nightjar in Brufut Woods, Gambia.

Below, long-tailed Nightjar, Gambia, Mar 2013
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Brazil, 2011

Bird name: Scissor Tailed Nightjar
Latin: Hydropsalis torquata
Other: Engoulevent à queue en ciseaux (Fr), atajacaminos tijera (Es), bacurau-tesoura (Br)
Family: Caprimulgidae • Nightjars
Range: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay
Similar: Long-trained Nightjar

Scissor-Tailed Nightjar at Regua.

Below, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Regua, Brazil, 2011
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© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Brazil, 2011

Bird name: Blackish Nightjar
Latin: Caprimulgus nigrescens
Other: bacurau-de-lajeado (Br), chotacabras negruzco (Es), Engoulevent noirâtre (Fr), roetnachtzwaluw (Nl)
Family: Caprimulgidae • Nightjars
Range: Amazonia, Guianas.
Similar:

Blackish Nightjar in Pará near Rio Azul Lodge.More photos...

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Ecuador, 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Band Winged Nightjar
Latin: Caprimulgus longirostris
Other: Bacurau-da-telha (Br)
Family: Caprimulgidae • Nightjars
Range: much of South America, including Ecuador, but not Amazonia and similar habitats.
Similar:

Many thanks to Tom for this photo of a Band-winged Nightjar.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Ecuador, 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Ladder Tailed Nightjar
Latin: Hydropsalis climacocerca
Other: Acurana (Br)
Family: Caprimulgidae • Nightjars
Range: Amazonia, including Ecuador, Brazil, etc
Similar: Scissor-tailed Nightjar

Many thanks to Tom for this nice photo of a Ladder-tailed Nightjar - a bird I missed while I was in Ecuador.

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • West of Panama Canal • 30 April 2010

Bird name: Common Nighthawk
Latin: Chordeiles minor
Other: Atajacaminos común (Es), Añapero yanqui (!) o boreal • Bacurau-norte-americano (Br) • Bullbat
Family: Caprimulgidae • Nightjars

The Common Nighthawk breeds in North America and spends the northern winter in South and Central America.

This male (male has white throat and tailband, female brown) was seen about 100 km west of the Panama Canal at the end of April.

The Common Nighthawk can be differentiated in photos from the Lesser Nighthawk only with difficulty, especially when it is lying on a branch.

The telltale clues are the staggered white wingbar (usually squarer in the Lesser Nighthawk) which is also said to be proportionally higher up the wing in the Common. The Common Nighthawk also lacks the buff spots of the Lesser above the white wingbar on the primaries. And the general colouring is more contrasty than the Lesser. The Common Nighthawk is larger than the Lesser Nighthawk, despite the Latin minor species name.

Common Nighthawks lay their eggs on bare ground and hunt for insects on the wing at dusk or night. They can be seen lying on horizontal branches during the day.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Summit Gardens • 27 April 2010

Bird name: Lesser Nighthawk
Latin: Chordeiles acutipennis
Other: Atajacaminos (Es), Chotacabras • Bacurau-de-asa-fina (Br)
Family: Caprimulgidae • Nightjars

The Lesser Nighthawk is found from the southwestern United States all the way to Brazil. This individual was seen east of the Panama Canal in Summit Gardens, at the end of April.

The Lesser Nighthawk can be differentiated in photos from the Common Nighthawk by the staggered white wingbar in the Common, which is usually squarer in the Lesser Nightjar, and which is also said to be proportionally higher up the wing in the Common. The Common Nighthawk also lacks the buff spots of the Lesser Nighthawk above the white wingbar on the primaries. The general colouring of the Common is more contrasty than the Lesser. The Lesser Nighthawk is smaller than the Common Nighthawk, with a less deeply forked tail.

Lesser Nighthawks usually nest on bare ground and hunt for flying insects at dusk or night. They often spend their days sitting on branches.

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Pipeline Road, Panama • 24 April 2010

Bird name: Rufous Nightjar
Latin: Caprimulgus rufus
Other: João-corta-pão (Br)
Family: Caprimulgidae • Nightjars

The Rufous Nightjar is found from Costa Rica to Argentina.

This individual was sitting on a chick (not really visible here) in its “nest” on the ground, near Pipeline Road, east of the Panama Canal at the end of April. I think the chick might be the second patch of white on the chest.

It was very well camouflaged on the canopy floor of fallen leaves, and characteristically very difficult to spot even when looking straight at it.

More photos...

082 Caprimulgidae - Nightjars - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Eurostopodus argus - Spotted Nightjar - Australia
Eurostopodus mystacalis - White-throated Nightjar - E Australia - E New Guinea
Eurostopodus diabolicus - Satanic Nightjar - Sulawesi
Eurostopodus papuensis - Papuan Nightjar - New Guinea
Eurostopodus archboldi - Archbold's Nightjar - New Guinea - New name
Eurostopodus temminckii - Malaysian Eared Nightjar - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Eurostopodus macrotis - Great Eared Nightjar - Widespread Asia, also Sulawesi

Lurocalis semitorquatus - Short-tailed Nighthawk - Widespread Latin America
Lurocalis rufiventris - Rufous-bellied Nighthawk - Venezuela to Bolivia

Chordeiles pusillus - Least Nighthawk - N, E South America
Chordeiles rupestris - Sand-colored Nighthawk - Amazonia
Chordeiles acutipennis - Lesser Nighthawk - SW USA to S Brazil
Chordeiles minor - Common Nighthawk - Widespread North America, Middle America - South America
Chordeiles gundlachii - Antillean Nighthawk - S Florida through the West Indies

Nyctiprogne leucopyga - Band-tailed Nighthawk - Amazonia
Nyctiprogne vielliardi - Plain-tailed Nighthawk - E Brazil

Podager nacunda - Nacunda Nighthawk - Widespread South America

Veles binotatus - Brown Nightjar - W, C Africa

Nyctidromus albicollis - Pauraque - Widespread Latin America

Phalaenoptilus nuttallii - Common Poorwill - SW Canada to N Mexico

Siphonorhis brewsteri - Least Poorwill - Hispaniola

Nyctiphrynus mcleodii - Eared Poorwill - W Mexico
Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus - Yucatan Poorwill - Yucatan Peninsula
Nyctiphrynus ocellatus - Ocellated Poorwill - Widespread Latin America
Nyctiphrynus rosenbergi - Choco Poorwill - W Colombia, NW Ecuador

Caprimulgus carolinensis - Chuck-will's-widow - E USA - Latin America
Caprimulgus rufus - Rufous Nightjar - Widespread Latin America S from Costa Rica
Caprimulgus cubanensis - Greater Antillean Nightjar - Cuba, Hispaniola
Caprimulgus salvini - Tawny-collared Nightjar - E Mexico
Caprimulgus badius - Yucatan Nightjar - Yucatan Peninsula
Caprimulgus sericocaudatus - Silky-tailed Nightjar - Widespread South America
Caprimulgus ridgwayi - Buff-collared Nightjar - NW Mexico to Nicaragua
Caprimulgus vociferus - Whip-poor-will - C, E North America - SE South America, Central America
Caprimulgus noctitherus - Puerto Rican Nightjar - SW Puerto Rico
Caprimulgus saturatus - Dusky Nightjar - Costa Rica, W Panama
Caprimulgus longirostris - Band-winged Nightjar - N, W, S, SE South America
Caprimulgus cayennensis - White-tailed Nightjar - Costa Rica through N South America
Caprimulgus candicans - White-winged Nightjar - SC South America - White-winged Nightjar may belong with Sickle-winged Nightjar in Eleothreptus
Caprimulgus maculicaudus - Spot-tailed Nightjar - Widespread Latin America
Caprimulgus parvulus - Little Nightjar - Widespread South America
Caprimulgus heterurus - Todd's Nightjar - NE Colombia, N, C Venezuela. South America - Split from C. parvulus
Caprimulgus anthonyi - Anthony's Nightjar - W Ecuador, NW Peru
Caprimulgus maculosus - Cayenne Nightjar - French Guiana
Caprimulgus nigrescens - Blackish Nightjar - Amazonia
Caprimulgus whitelyi - Roraiman Nightjar - Tepuis
Caprimulgus hirundinaceus - Pygmy Nightjar - NE, E Brazil
Caprimulgus ruficollis - Red-necked Nightjar - Iberian Peninsula to NW Africa - W Africa
Caprimulgus indicus - Indian Jungle Nightjar - India and Sri Lanka - Was Grey Nightjar
Caprimulgus jotaka - Grey Nightjar - Himalayas to E, SE Asia - Indian subcontinent, SE Asia S to Indonesia, Philippines, Palau. - Split from C. indicus
Caprimulgus europaeus - European Nightjar - W, C Eurasia - Africa - Eurasian Nightjar better name for Caprimulgus europaeus
Caprimulgus fraenatus - Sombre Nightjar - E Africa
Caprimulgus rufigena - Rufous-cheeked Nightjar - S Africa - wc Africa
Caprimulgus aegyptius - Egyptian Nightjar - NW Africa to SC Asia - E, C, W Africa
Caprimulgus mahrattensis - Sykes's Nightjar - SC Asia - India
Caprimulgus centralasicus - Vaurie's Nightjar - W China
Caprimulgus nubicus - Nubian Nightjar - NE, N, Africa, also W, SW Arabian Peninsula
Caprimulgus eximius - Golden Nightjar - NE, NC, W Africa
Caprimulgus atripennis - Jerdon's Nightjar - S,e India, Sri Lanka
Caprimulgus macrurus - Large-tailed Nightjar - E India to N Australia
Caprimulgus meesi - Mees's Nightjar - Sumba and Flores in Lesser Sundas - Caprimulgus meesi new species
Caprimulgus andamanicus - Andaman Nightjar - Andaman Islands - Split from C. macrurus
Caprimulgus manillensis - Philippine Nightjar - Philippines
Caprimulgus celebensis - Sulawesi Nightjar - Sulawesi, Sula Islands
Caprimulgus donaldsoni - Donaldson-Smith's Nightjar - E Africa
Caprimulgus nigriscapularis - Black-shouldered Nightjar - W, C Africa
Caprimulgus pectoralis - Fiery-necked Nightjar - S, SE, SC Africa
Caprimulgus poliocephalus - Montane Nightjar - E Africa
Caprimulgus ruwenzorii - Ruwenzori Nightjar - SC, SE Africa
Caprimulgus asiaticus - Indian Nightjar - SE Pakistan to Southeast Asia
Caprimulgus madagascariensis - Madagascar Nightjar - Madagascar
Caprimulgus natalensis - Swamp Nightjar - Widespread Africa
Caprimulgus solala - Nechisar Nightjar - S Ethiopia
Caprimulgus inornatus - Plain Nightjar - E, C, W, Africa, also SW Arabian Peninsula
Caprimulgus stellatus - Star-spotted Nightjar - E Africa
Caprimulgus affinis - Savanna Nightjar - Widespread Asia
Caprimulgus tristigma - Freckled Nightjar - Widespread Africa
Caprimulgus concretus - Bonaparte's Nightjar - Sumatra, Borneo
Caprimulgus pulchellus - Salvadori's Nightjar - Sumatra, Java
Caprimulgus prigoginei - Prigogine's Nightjar - E Democratic Republic of the Congo
Caprimulgus enarratus - Collared Nightjar - Madagascar
Caprimulgus batesi - Bates's Nightjar - C Africa
Caprimulgus climacurus - Long-tailed Nightjar - C, WC, W Africa
Caprimulgus clarus - Slender-tailed Nightjar - E Africa
Caprimulgus fossii - Square-tailed Nightjar - SC, SE Africa

Macrodipteryx longipennis - Standard-winged Nightjar - EC, C, W Africa
Macrodipteryx vexillarius - Pennant-winged Nightjar - SC, C Africa

Hydropsalis climacocerca - Ladder-tailed Nightjar - Amazonia
Hydropsalis torquata - Scissor-tailed Nightjar - Amazonia, SC, SE South America

Uropsalis segmentata - Swallow-tailed Nightjar - Colombia to C Bolivia
Uropsalis lyra - Lyre-tailed Nightjar - Venezuela to S Bolivia

Macropsalis forcipata - Long-trained Nightjar - SE South America

Eleothreptus anomalus - Sickle-winged Nightjar - SE South America