Nightjars by Nigel Cleere

Author:Nigel Cleere
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2010-10-16T00:00:00+00:00

STATUS Fairly common throughout much of its range, although locally uncommon in Panama and scarce on Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire.

REFERENCES ffrench & O’Neill (1991), Haverschmidt & Mees (1994), Hilty & Brown (1986), Meyer de Schauensee & Phelps (1978), Pinchon (1963), Ridgely & Gwynne (1989), Stiles & Skutch (1989), Voous (1965), Wetmore (1968).

68 WHITE-WINGED NIGHTJAR

Caprimulgus candicans Plate 19

Stenopsis candicans Pelzeln in Sclater, 1866 (1867), Proc. Zool. Soc. London p.588 (Irisanga, São Paulo)

IDENTIFICATION Length 19-21cm. A small, pale, greyish-brown Neotropical nightjar. Sexually dimorphic. At rest The male’s outermost primaries often curve slightly upwards. Upperparts and inner wing-coverts pale greyish-brown, often tinged cinnamon, speckled, barred and streaked brown, boldly spotted blackish on crown. No collar around hindneck. Outer wing-coverts white, edged brown and boldly spotted blackish. Scapulars greyish-brown boldly marked blackish, outerwebs generally buffish. Broad pale buff submoustachial stripe. Ring of buffish spots around lower throat. Breast greyish-brown tinged chestnut and tawny, barred and speckled brown, rest of underparts white. The female lacks white in the plumage, with the scapulars more boldly marked blackish and buffish underparts. In flight Broad and round-winged, the outer primaries curving slightly inwards. The male has whitish wings, the outer primaries being broadly tipped brown, and a largely white tail. The female has browner wings, broadly barred tawny-buff, and a brown tail, broadly barred buffish. Similar species The male is unmistakable and the following possibly only applies to females and immatures. Sickle-winged Nightjar (119) is generally browner and less cinnamon (females only), and boldly spotted whitish on the upperparts (immatures only); the underparts are more heavily spotted and barred brown, the primaries are more thickly and densely barred tawny, and at rest the wing-tips fall short of the tip of the tail.

VOICE During territorial chases, males utter a short, whistled tshere-she-shew which undulates in pitch. Males on the ground may also give this call when startled. Females may utter a sharp eek when alarmed. Males also produce a variety of sounds probably made with their wings (see Habits and Breeding). No further information available.

HABITAT A lowland species that prefers open grasslands with scattered trees and bushes. Occurs in dry, open savannas and open cerrado or grasslands with scattered bushes, prostrate palms Butia, termite mounds and anthills. Also inhabits regenerating grasslands that have been burnt in previous years. Avoids tall grass. 0–210m.

HABITS Crepuscular and nocturnal. At night, often sits on small patches of open bare ground, or perches on clumps of grass, termite mounds or prostrate palms Butia up to c. 1m above ground. When hunting, flight is slow and interspersed with frequent glides. Forages low over hillsides and hilltops in climax cerrado with scattered shrubs and dwarf jatai palms Butia, often flying 1-2m above the grass, and occasionally hunts over burnt cerrado. Also flycatches by making short sallies from an elevated perch, at the beginning of which, males may produce a mechanical grrrrt sound. No further information available.

FOOD Beetles and moths. No further data available.

BREEDING Breeding season late September?–November? in E Paraguay and C Brazil.

Territorial, males defending their territories by chasing away intruding males.

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