Australian Owlet-nightjar

Australian Owlet-nightjar

Aegotheles cristatus

Silhouette: Christopher Watson (photo) and T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Great Otway National Park
34 Verified sightings at Great Otway National Park From 2019 to 2026
471 Verified sightings across all 17 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted Active throughout day and night

About the Australian Owlet-nightjar

The Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) is a nocturnal bird found in open woodland across Australia and in southern New Guinea. It is the smallest nocturnal bird found in Australia, making it prone to predation. It is colloquially known as the moth owl or fairy owl and Jarlajirrpi by the Warlpiri people. It is the most common nocturnal bird in Australia. Despite suffering from predation and competition by introduced species, it is not considered threatened.

The Australian owlet-nightjar was formally described as Caprimulgus cristatus in 1790 by the English naturalist George Shaw based on a specimen collected in New South Wales, Australia. The species was described in the same year by John Latham as Caprimulgus novaehollandiae but Shaw's account is believed to be earlier and thus has precedence. The Australian owlet-nightjar was previously placed in Caprimulgiformes but updated taxonomy now places it in Aegotheliformes. The Australian owlet-nightjar is now one of ten species placed in the genus Aegotheles that was introduced in 1827 by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield. It is the type species of the genus. The specific epithet cristatus... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Great Otway National Park

White-throated Needletail
LC

White-throated Needletail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundapus caudacutus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Pacific Swift
LC

Pacific Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus pacificus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
2 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
3 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
4 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
5 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
6 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
7 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
9 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
10 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
11 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
12 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
13 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
14 Flinders Chase 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
15 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
16 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
17 Cape Range 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Australian Owlet-nightjar in Great Otway National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Australian Owlet-nightjar sighting in Great Otway National Park, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Australian Owlet-nightjar in Great Otway National Park?

February has the highest sighting rate for Australian Owlet-nightjar in Great Otway National Park in our monthly data.

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