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Member of the family Caprimulgidae are known as nighthawks and Nightjars. Nighthawks have long and pointed wings, nightjars have longer tails and shorter and rounded wings. All have short bills and wide gaping mouths, and conspicuous rectal bristles. Nightajars and nighthawks have cryptic plumages and some are so similar they are difficult to distinguish by plumage alone. They have very short legs and small feet used to perch directly on the ground or lengthwise on a perch.
Nighthawks and nightjars used different foraging strategies. Nighthawks forage actively, diving and twisting in aerial pursuit of insects. Nightjars sally from a stationary perch on or near the ground. Many nightjar and nighthawks are rarely seen unless they are accidentally flushed. All species are crepuscular and nocturnal and are often better known by their voices than by sight. There are 11 genera and 20 species of nighthawks and nightjars known to occur in Peru. Photo: Common Pauraque ©Felineora.
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| Family CAPRIMULGIDAE | ||
| Nightjars, Nighthawks | Chotacabras | |
| Nacunda Nighthawk | Chotacabras de Vientre Blanco | Chordeiles nacunda (NB) |
| Sand-colored Nighthawk | Chotacabras Arenisco | Chordeiles rupestris |
| Lesser Nighthawk | Chotacabras Menor | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Common Nighthawk | Chotacabras Migratorio | Chordeiles minor (NB) |
| Short-tailed Nighthawk | Chotacabras de Cola Corta | Lurocalis semitorquatus |
| Rufous-bellied Nighthawk | Chotacabras de Vientre Rufo | Lurocalis rufiventris |
| Band-tailed Nighthawk | Chotacabras de Cola Bandeada | Nyctiprogne leucopyga |
| Blackish Nightjar | Chotacabras Negruzco | Nyctipolus nigrescens |
| Band-winged Nightjar | Chotacabras de Ala Bandeada | Systellura longirostris |
| Tschudi’s Nightjar | Chotacabras de Tschudi | Systellura decussata |
| Common Pauraque | Chotacabras Común | Nyctidromus albicollis |
| Scrub Nightjar | Chotacabras de Matorral | Nyctidromus anthonyi |
| Swallow-tailed Nightjar | Chotacabras de Cola Ahorquillada | Uropsalis segmentata |
| Lyre-tailed Nightjar | Chotacabras Cola de Lira | Uropsalis lyra |
| Little Nightjar | Chotacabras Chico | Setopagis parvula (NB) |
| Spot-tailed Nightjar | Chotacabras de Cola Punteada | Hydropsalis maculicaudus |
| Ladder-tailed Nightjar | Chotacabras de Cola Escalera | Hydropsalis climacocerca |
| Scissor-tailed Nightjar | Chotacabras de Cola Tijereta | Hydropsalis torquata |
| Ocellated Poorwill | Chotacabras Ocelado | Nyctiphrynus ocellatus |
| Silky-tailed Nightjar | Chotacabras Cola de Seda | Antrostomus sericocaudatus |
| Rufous Nightjar | Chotacabras Rufo | Antrostomus rufus (H) |
 NYCTIBIIDAE: Potoos – Ayaymamas |
APODIDAE: Swifts – Vencejos |