Nubian nightjar

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Nubian nightjar
Illustration by
Henrik Grönvold
of the subspecies jonesi

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Strisores
Order: Caprimulgiformes
Family: Caprimulgidae
Genus: Caprimulgus
Species:
C. nubicus
Binomial name
Caprimulgus nubicus
Lichtenstein, MHC
, 1823

The Nubian nightjar (Caprimulgus nubicus) is a species of

Caprimulgidae. It is found in salt marshes[2] of Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Israel, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen
.

Description

The Nubian nightjar is 20–22 cm long. It is a nocturnal species, known for its large eyes and beak, which help it hunt at night. The bird resembles the

Moorish nightjar, but is smaller, has a shorter tail and blunt wings compared to the ̺Moorish nightjar. Another characteristic feature is a red-brown band over the neck. The white wing spots are not further away from the wing tips than other types of nightjars.[3]

The Nubian nightjar (Caprimulgus nubicus, Lichtenstein 1823) is the smallest and slightest nightjar in the Western Palearctic (Snow & Perrins, 1998). The species is relatively widespread in the arid part of eastern Africa, though recorded as uncommon and scarce (Perlman, 2008). In the Middle East, it was reported along the Rift Valley in southern Palestine and the Red Sea coast of southern Arabian Peninsula (Birdlife International, 2012). The bird's former range included the Dead Sea, Aqaba, Fidan Valley, and Tassan, but it is now restricted to Fifa Nature Reserve as a result of habitat destruction (RSCN).

Nesting

Like other nightjars, the Nubian nightjar nests on the ground. Its nests are clustered in small groups of 1 to 3.[4] It is hypothesized to prefer to nest near agricultural areas for greater access to food.[4]

References