Pygmy Nightjar

About the Pygmy Nightjar

The pygmy nightjar (Nyctipolus hirundinaceus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Brazil. The pygmy nightjar was originally placed in genus Caprimulgus, but DNA analyses show that it and its sister species blackish nightjar (Nyctipolus nigrescens) require their own genus. It has three subspecies, the nominate N. n. nigrescens, N. n. cearae, and N. n. veilliardi.

The pygmy nightjar is 16 to 20 cm (6.3 to 7.9 in) long; one male weighed 32 g (1.1 oz). Males of the nominate subspecies have brown upperparts with grayish white and cinnamon speckles. The tail is brown with paler bars; some feathers have white tips. They have a buffy throat stripe and a white chin and throat with brown bars. The upper breast is a broad buffy cinnamon band with brown spots, the lower breast is brown with pale spots and bars, and the belly and flanks buff with brown bars. Females are similar to the males but paler and do not have the white on the tail. N. n. cearae is paler than the nominate, with a more rufous belly and lighter brown bars on the underparts. The tail has more white. N. n. veilliardi is darker than the nominate... Wikipedia →