Little Nightjar

About the Little Nightjar

The little nightjar (Setopagis parvula) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The little nightjar was formally described in 1837 by the English ornithologist John Gould under the binomial name Caprimulgus parvulus. Gould did not specify a locality but the specimen had come from near Santa Fe, on the Rio Paraná in northeastern Argentina. The specific epithet parvulus is Latin meaning "very small". The little nightjar is now placed in the genus Setopagis that was introduced in 1912 by the American ornithologist Robert Ridgway. At various times what are now Todd's nightjar (Setopagis heterura) and Anthony's nightjar (Nyctidromus anthonyi) were considered subspecies of little nightjar, but it is now treated as monotypic. Molecular genetic analysis has shown that the little nightjar is sister to Todd's nightjar (Setopagis heterura).

The little nightjar is 19 to 21 cm (7.5 to 8.3 in) long and weighs 25 to 46.5 g (0.88 to 1.6 oz). The male is generally grayish brown with buff, brown, and blackish brown spots and streaks. The belly is buff with brown bars... Wikipedia →