Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/79492850@N00/ / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Eared Nightjar
Lyncornis macrotis
Great Eared Nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) — Nightjars & Allies of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 7 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Eared Nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 141 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Caprimulgiformes
- Family Caprimulgidae Nightjars
- Genus Lyncornis
- Species macrotis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 141 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Eared Nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Great Eared Nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Great Eared Nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) is a species of bird in the Caprimulgidae family, part of the order Caprimulgiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR, AU widespread; also Sulawesi.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 141 g, with a wing length of about 26.6 cm and a tail of around 17.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Eared Nightjar?
The Great Eared Nightjar is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 141 g.
Where does the Great Eared Nightjar live?
The Great Eared Nightjar is found across Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR, AU widespread; also Sulawesi, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Great Eared Nightjar belong to?
The Great Eared Nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.
What does the Great Eared Nightjar eat?
The Great Eared Nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Great Eared Nightjar migrate?
The Great Eared Nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Great Eared Nightjar endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Eared Nightjar make?
1 real field recording of the Great Eared Nightjar — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Eared Nightjar's range?
The Great Eared Nightjar has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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