Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Band-tailed Nighthawk
Nyctiprogne leucopyga
Band-tailed Nighthawk (Nyctiprogne leucopyga) — 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 Band-tailed Nighthawk (Nyctiprogne leucopyga) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 27.3 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 Nyctiprogne
- Species leucopyga
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Band-tailed Nighthawk 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 Band-tailed Nighthawk is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Band-tailed Nighthawk (Nyctiprogne leucopyga) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family, within the order Caprimulgiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.3 g, with a wing length of about 13.6 cm and a tail of around 8.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Band-tailed Nighthawk?
The Band-tailed Nighthawk is a small bird that weighs around 27.3 g.
Where does the Band-tailed Nighthawk live?
The Band-tailed Nighthawk is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Band-tailed Nighthawk belong to?
The Band-tailed Nighthawk (Nyctiprogne leucopyga) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.
What does the Band-tailed Nighthawk eat?
The Band-tailed Nighthawk is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Band-tailed Nighthawk migrate?
The Band-tailed Nighthawk is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Band-tailed Nighthawk 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 Band-tailed Nighthawk make?
1 real field recording of the Band-tailed Nighthawk — 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 Band-tailed Nighthawk's range?
The Band-tailed Nighthawk has a mapped global range of about 5.2 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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