Scissor-tailed Nightjar
Hydropsalis torquata
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCaprimulgiformes (Nightjars and Allies)
- FamilyCaprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies)
- GenusHydropsalis (Fork-tailed Nightjars)
- SpeciesHydropsalis torquata (Scissor-tailed Nightjar)
About the Scissor-tailed Nightjar
The scissor-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is distributed over much of eastern South America. The scissor-tailed nightjar was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other nightjars in the genus Caprimulgus and coined the binomial name Caprimulgus torquatus. The scissor-tailed nightjar is now placed with three other species in the genus Hydropsalis that was introduced in 1832 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek hudro- meaning "water-" with psalis meaning "pair of scissors". The specific epithet torquata is from Latin torquatus meaning "collared".
Two subspecies are recognised: H. t. torquata (Gmelin, JF, 1789) – south Suriname, Brazil and east Peru H. t. furcifer (Vieillot, 1817) – south Peru to south Brazil and central Argentina The specific epithet brasiliana or brasilianus was formerly sometimes used.
The most distinctive feature of the scissor-tailed nightjar is the male's elongated outer tail feathers... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Scissor-tailed Nightjar in Iguazú National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Iguazú National Park
Common Pauraque
Nyctidromus albicollis
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Lurocalis semitorquatus
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Silky-tailed Nightjar
Antrostomus sericocaudatus
Ñacundá Nighthawk
Chordeiles nacunda
Little Nightjar
Setopagis parvula
Ocellated Poorwill
Nyctiphrynus ocellatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 6 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 8 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 9 | Cordillera Azul National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 10 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 11 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 12 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 13 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |