Photo: Cláudio Dias Timm from Rio Grande do Sul / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ladder-tailed Nightjar
Hydropsalis climacocerca
Ladder-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca) — Nightjars & Allies of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 46 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 Hydropsalis
- Species climacocerca
Quick facts
- Weight
- 46 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family of the order Caprimulgiformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 46 g, with a wing length of about 15 cm and a tail of around 14.4 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 5.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ladder-tailed Nightjar?
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 46 g.
Where does the Ladder-tailed Nightjar live?
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Ladder-tailed Nightjar belong to?
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.
What does the Ladder-tailed Nightjar eat?
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Ladder-tailed Nightjar migrate?
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ladder-tailed 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 Ladder-tailed Nightjar make?
1 real field recording of the Ladder-tailed Nightjar — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Ladder-tailed Nightjar's range?
The Ladder-tailed Nightjar has a mapped global range of about 5.9 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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