Abyssinian Nightjar

Abyssinian Nightjar

Caprimulgus poliocephalus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
93 Verified sightings at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park From 2019 to 2026
463 Verified sightings across all 16 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Abyssinian Nightjar

The montane nightjar (Caprimulgus poliocephalus), mountain nightjar or Abyssinian nightjar, is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is native to upland regions of Central and Eastern Africa where it is a locally common species.

The Montane nightjar was originally described by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell in 1840. He used the current binomial name Caprimulgus poliocephalus. There are four subspecies: C. p. poliocephalus Rüppell, 1840 – Ethiopia to north Tanzania, also southwest Saudi Arabia

C. p. ruwenzorii Ogilvie-Grant, 1909 – southwest Uganda, east Democratic Republic of the Congo C. p. guttifer Grote, 1921 – Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia C. p. koesteri Neumann, 1931 – central Angola The subspecies C. p. ruwenzorii was formerly sometimes treated as a separate species, the Ruwenzori nightjar. Although a molecular genetic study of these four nightjars has not been published, the results of the detailed measurement of museum specimens suggests that they should be considered as conspecific.

The montane nightjar is a rather dark nightjar growing to a length of about 23 cm (9.1 in). It has somewhat tawny, blackish or chocolate brown... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Freckled Nightjar
LC

Freckled Nightjar

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Caprimulgus tristigma

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Square-tailed Nightjar
LC

Square-tailed Nightjar

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Caprimulgus fossii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
European Nightjar
LC

European Nightjar

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Caprimulgus europaeus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Long-tailed Nightjar
LC

Long-tailed Nightjar

Bird

Caprimulgus climacurus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
2 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
3 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
4 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
5 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
6 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
7 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
8 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
9 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
10 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
11 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
12 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
13 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
14 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
15 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
16 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Abyssinian Nightjar in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Abyssinian Nightjar sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 93 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Abyssinian Nightjar in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Abyssinian Nightjar in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park