Photo: Adaptivity77 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-tailed Nightjar
Hydropsalis cayennensis
White-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis cayennensis) — Nightjars & Allies of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis cayennensis) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 35.5 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 Hydropsalis
- Species cayennensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 35.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-tailed Nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The White-tailed Nightjar is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The White-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis cayennensis) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family of the order Caprimulgiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica through n SA.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 35.5 g, with a wing length of about 13.6 cm and a tail of around 10.2 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 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-tailed Nightjar?
The White-tailed Nightjar is a small bird that weighs around 35.5 g.
Where does the White-tailed Nightjar live?
The White-tailed Nightjar is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica through n SA, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the White-tailed Nightjar belong to?
The White-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis cayennensis) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.
What does the White-tailed Nightjar eat?
The White-tailed Nightjar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-tailed Nightjar migrate?
The White-tailed Nightjar is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the White-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 White-tailed Nightjar make?
1 real field recording of the White-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 White-tailed Nightjar's range?
The White-tailed Nightjar has a mapped global range of about 1.5 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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