Alternative names: African White-tailed Nightjar; Natal Nightjar
- Caprimulgus natalensis
Identification
20-24 cm. A sexually dimorphic nightjar. Variable in coloration, most are brown, greyish-brown or buffish-brown.
- Greyish-brown or brown upperparts, heavily spotted with large dark brown marks on wing-coverts, scapulars and tertials
- Indistinct pale buff or buff nuchal collar
- White throat patch
- Brown underparts, heavily spotted buffish-white or buff, becoming buff barred brown on belly.
- Male with large white spot on four outermost primaries and extensively white two outermost tail feathers
- Female with buffish or pale tawny wing spots and narrow buffish-white tips to tail feathers
- accrae is darker, plainer and smaller
Immatures are similar to adults but more spotted on upperparts.
Distribution
Patchily distributed in West, Central, East and Southern Africa.
Rare to locally common in its range.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- C. n. natalensis from eastern Gambia to South Sudan, southwest Ethiopia, eastern Tanzania and northern South Africa
- C. n. accrae from coastal north-central Sierra Leone to western Cameroon
More described subspecies (chadensis, gabonensis, fulviventris, carpi and mpusa) are usually not recognized.
Habitat
Found in wet or damp habitats, grassland, meadows, swamps, marshes, bogs and dambos, vleis and lagoon edges. In West Africa also in damp grassy clearings in forest.
Occurs from sea-level up to 2200m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on termites, moths, bugs and beetles.
Forages flying low over ground around termite hills, pastures and cattle pens.
Breeding
Breeding season differs through range. A monogamous species. Builds no nest. 2 eggs are laid on the ground in long grass at edge of marsh or on sandy riverbank.
Movements
Not well documented. Both races are probably sedentary, however some local movements occur.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1999. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 5: Barn-Owls to Hummingbirds. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334252
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2023) Swamp Nightjar. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 November 2023 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Swamp_Nightjar
