Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Bates’s Nightjar
Caprimulgus batesi
Bates's Nightjar (Caprimulgus batesi) — Nightjars & Allies of Africa.
The Bates’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus batesi) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 100 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 Caprimulgus
- Species batesi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 100 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Bates’s 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 Bates’s Nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Bates’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus batesi) is a species of bird in the Caprimulgidae family, part of the order Caprimulgiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Cameroon to Uganda and e DR Congo.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 100 g, with a wing length of about 18.6 cm and a tail of around 14.5 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 1.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bates’s Nightjar?
The Bates’s Nightjar is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 100 g.
Where does the Bates’s Nightjar live?
The Bates’s Nightjar is found across Africa with a range covering AF Cameroon to Uganda and e DR Congo, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Bates’s Nightjar belong to?
The Bates’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus batesi) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.
What does the Bates’s Nightjar eat?
The Bates’s Nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bates’s Nightjar migrate?
The Bates’s Nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Bates’s 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 Bates’s Nightjar make?
1 real field recording of the Bates’s Nightjar can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Bates’s Nightjar's range?
The Bates’s Nightjar has a mapped global range of about 1.9 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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