Category: Caprimulgidae

THE SHORT-TAILED NIGHTHAWK IS A TREE NESTER

Short-tailed Nighthawk (Lurocalis semitorquatus) Science Article 1 abstract A nest of the Short-tailedN ighthawk, Lurocalis semitorquatus noctivagus, was found in Panama.It was located on a 15-cm diameter, horizontal branch in an Erythrinafusca tree,6 m above ground. The tree was growing on the side of a pond in semi-open habitat, closeto old second-growth, lowland forest. The […]

Brood amalgamation in Red-necked Nightjars Caprimulgus ruficollis

Red-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis) Science Article 1 abstract The study of nocturnal birds supposes a serioushandicap for observers due to the restrictionsimposed by the lack of light and the scarcityof information about important aspects oftheir behaviour, such as adoption. In fact, alloparentalcare has not been described in caprimulgidsor any other group of nocturnal birds.Adoption is […]

What effects do walkers and dogs have on the distribution and productivity of breeding European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus?

Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) Science Article 1 abstract Several successive studies of European Nightjars Caprimulgus europaeus (hereafter, Nightjar) on the Dorset heaths demonstrated negative effects of the proximity of urban development and associated disturbance from access on foot by people and dogs. Surrogate measures of human density and settlement, including the amount of developed land around […]

Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus and Woodlark Lullula arborea – recovering species in Britain?

Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) Science Article 2 abstract The Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus and Woodlark Lullula arborea are identified as species of conservation concern at both a UK and a European level on account of historical declines in their population sizes and ranges. The UK populations of both species have increased significantly in recent decades and this […]

Nesting of Lesser Nighthawks on beaches in El Salvador

Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) Science Article 2 abstract Distribution of the Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) in northern Central America is poorly understood (Howell and Webb 1995). We here present the first documentation of breeding for the species in El Salvador, as well as the hrst documentation of breeding in association with terns and plovers. On […]

Geographic Variation in the Juvenal Plumage of the Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)

Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) Science Article 1 abstract In attempting to identify a series of Lesser Nighthawks (Chordeiles acutipennis) collected on the Pacific lowlands of Guatemala, and to ascertain the applicable trinomial to use, I encountered a striking degree of variation among juveniles in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). To […]

Vulnerability of Eggs and Young of the Blackish Nightjar (Caprimulgus Nigrescens) in Suriname

Dusky Nightjar (Caprimulgus saturatus) Science Article 1 abstract Crepuscular and nocturnal caprimulgids (nighthawks and nightjars) form a particular group of insectivorous birds (Junge 1964). During daylight hours, they roost on the ground or low in vegetation, often in open situations exposed to full sunshine. During twilight and nighttime hours they become active, feeding entirely on […]

aerial rain bathing by Common Nighthawks.

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) Science Article 3 abstract Both Slessers (Auk 87:91-99, 1970) and Simmons (pp. 101-104 in A Dictionary of Birds, B. Campbell and E. Lack, eds., Buteo Books, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1985) classified methods of bathing in water by birds, but neither mentioned a method we observed in the Common Nighthawk (Chordeifes minor), […]

OBSERVATIONS ON THE INCUBATION BEHAVIOR OF A COMMON NIGHTHAWK

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) Science Article 2 abstract Although the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) has been studied extensively, certain phases of its breeding biology have been considered only superficially. Among these are the incubation movements of the female, the manner in which eggs are moved, and certain activities of the male. An opportunity to investigate […]