Swallow-tailed Nightjar (Uropsalis segmentata)

Order: Apodiformes Family: Caprimulgidae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

swallow-tailed_nightjar
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Pasco, Peru

swallow-tailed_nightjar
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Amazonas, Peru

swallow-tailed_nightjar
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Eastern Andes, Ecuador

swallow-tailed_nightjar
Age: Adult | Sex: Female & Male | Loc. Eastern Andes of Colombia


Identification & Behavior: ~75 cm (29.5 in). (male) 22 cm (8.6 in). (female). The Swallow-tailed Nightjar is overall blackish with rufous spots and rufous collar, which is more prominent on the sides and back of the neck. The male has very long outer tail feathers with white webbing on the outer edge. The female has a barred notched tail. The wings are uniformly dusky without wing bands. The Swallow-tailed Nightjar is similar to the larger Lyre-tailed Nightjar but is distinguished by ranging at higher elevations, having a more uniform dusky coloration, and having rufous spots on the forehead and crown.  The Swallow-tailed Nightjar favors forest edges, vertical rocky walls, and edges of landslides.

Status: The Swallow-tailed Nightjar is uncommon to rare in montane forests of the east slope of the Andes at elevations ranging between 2000-3600 m. It also occurs at similar elevations in the humid forest of Piura and Cajamarca on the west slope of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Chotacabras de Cola Ahorquillada.

Sub-species: Swallow-tailed Nightjar (Uropsalis segmentata segmentata), (Cassin), 1849. Andes in Colombia (C & E ranges), Ecuador and extreme northern Peru.
(Uropsalis segmentata kalinowskii), Berlepsch and Stolzmann, 1894. E slope of Andes from N Peru (Amazonas) S to W & C Bolivia (Cochabamba).

Meaning of Name: Uropsalis: Gr. Oura= tail and psalidos= pair of scissors, shears. segmentata: L. segmentatus, segmentum= strip, piece cut off.

See more of the Family Caprimulgidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
swallow-tailed_nightjarVoice


References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 08/01/2015.