Little Nightjar

Little Nightjar

Setopagis parvula

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Madidi National Park
7 Verified sightings at Madidi National Park From 2019 to 2026
355 Verified sightings across all 13 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

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 →

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
~10%
2 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
4 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
5 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
6 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
7 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
8 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
9 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
10 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
11 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
12 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
13 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Little Nightjar in Madidi National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Nightjar sighting in Madidi National Park, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Little Nightjar in Madidi National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Little Nightjar in Madidi National Park in our monthly data.

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