Photo: Henggang Cui / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Slender-tailed Nightjar
Caprimulgus clarus
Slender-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus clarus) — Nightjars & Allies of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Slender-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus clarus) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 42.5 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 clarus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 42.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Slender-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 is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Slender-tailed Nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Slender-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus clarus) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family, within the order Caprimulgiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Ethiopia and Somalia to c Tanzania.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 42.5 g, with a wing length of about 14.8 cm and a tail of around 11.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Slender-tailed Nightjar?
The Slender-tailed Nightjar is a small bird that weighs around 42.5 g.
Where does the Slender-tailed Nightjar live?
The Slender-tailed Nightjar is found across Africa with a range covering AF Ethiopia and Somalia to c Tanzania, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Slender-tailed Nightjar belong to?
The Slender-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus clarus) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.
What does the Slender-tailed Nightjar eat?
The Slender-tailed Nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Slender-tailed Nightjar migrate?
The Slender-tailed Nightjar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Slender-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 Slender-tailed Nightjar make?
1 real field recording of the Slender-tailed 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 Slender-tailed Nightjar's range?
The Slender-tailed Nightjar has a mapped global range of about 1.2 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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