Spotted Nightjar

About the Spotted Nightjar

The spotted nightjar or spotted eared-nightjar (Eurostopodus argus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It inhabits much of mainland Australia and has also been found in several Indonesian islands. Its natural habitats are open forests and woodlands, scrub, spinifex and tussock grassland, savannah woodland and mangroves.

Spotted nightjars are larger and more colorful than other species of nightjar, and are known for their intricately flecked plumage patterns which allow them to camouflage well against the ground. Adult spotted nightjar have large white spots on four outer primary feathers, lacking the white tail markings of the more tropical large-tailed nightjar.

Spotted nightjars are nocturnal and insectivorous, and primarily roost on the ground, rarely perching in trees. They tend to both eat and drink while in flight, skimming along the surface of water holes in order to do so.

The spotted nightjar was formally described in 1892 by the German ornithologist Ernst Hartert. He amended the John Gould's genus name from Eurostopodus to Eurostopus, an amendment that has not been accepted, and coined the binomial name Eurostopus argus. Hartert specified... Wikipedia →