Silky-tailed Nightjar - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by Xyko Paludo
Ribeirão Grande, SP, Brazil, July 2018

Antrostomus sericocaudatus

Identification

24–30 cm (9½ in)

• Dark greyish-brown upperparts, with blackish brown streaks and spots

Distribution

South America: found in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.

Taxonomy

It was formerly placed in the genus Caprimulgus.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• A. s. mengeli:

• North Peru to north-western Bolivia and northern Brazil

• A. s. sericocaudatus:

• South East Brazil to eastern Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina

Habitat

Mostly in forest clearings, particularly with thickets and bamboo.

Behaviour

Diet

Their main diet consists of insects, particularly ants, beetles, crickets and grasshoppers.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. [http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1931402 Birdforum thread discussing the proposal to place this species in genus Antrostomus
3. Avibase
4. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Aug 2018)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Silky-tailed Nightjar. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Silky-tailed_Nightjar

External Links

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