- Hydropsalis torquata
Identification
25–30 cm (9¾-12 in)
- Rufous collar round hindneck
Male: very long whitish outer tail feathers (can be longer than its body)
Female: longish tail
Distribution
South America: found in The Guianas, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- H. t. torquata:
- H. t. furcifer:
Some authorities have used Hydropsalis brasiliana for this species.
Habitat
Forest and forest edges, and open parks.
Behaviour
Diet
Their main diet consists of beetles, moths, flies, mayflies, bugs, ants, grasshoppers and crickets. Mostly foraged in flight.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Birdforum thread discussing taxonomy of Nightjars and Frogmouths
- Birdforum thread discussing which genus this species belongs in
- Arthur Grosset
- Cleere, N. (2020). Scissor-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/55245 on 7 March 2020)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Scissor-tailed Nightjar. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Scissor-tailed_Nightjar
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
