Photo: John Gould / William Matthew Hart / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar
Aegotheles wallacii
Wallace's Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles wallacii) — Nightjars & Allies of Australia & Oceania.
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The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles wallacii) is a member of the Aegothelidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 50.7 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 Aegotheliformes
- Family Aegothelidae Owlet-nightjars
- Genus Aegotheles
- Species wallacii
Where it lives
Waigeo (Raja Ampat Is., northwest of New Guinea), Aru Is. (southwest of New Guinea), Bird'southern Head (northwestern New Guinea) and patchily in New Guinea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 50.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Aegothelidae
- Order
- Aegotheliformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Data Deficient
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles wallacii) is a species of bird in the Aegothelidae family, part of the order Aegotheliformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Waigeo (Raja Ampat Is., nw of New Guinea), Aru Is. (sw of New Guinea), Bird's Head (nw New Guinea) and patchily in New Guinea.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 50.7 g, with a wing length of about 11.9 cm and a tail of around 10.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 40,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar?
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 50.7 g.
Where does the Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar live?
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Waigeo (Raja Ampat Is., nw of New Guinea), Aru Is. (sw of New Guinea), Bird's Head (nw New Guinea) and patchily in New Guinea, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar belong to?
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles wallacii) belongs to the Aegothelidae family, in the order Aegotheliformes.
What does the Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar eat?
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar migrate?
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Wallace’s Owlet-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 Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar make?
1 real field recording of the Wallace’s Owlet-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 Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar's range?
The Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar has a mapped global range of about 40,000 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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