An intricately patterned nocturnal bird, usually found roosting on the ground or a low branch in open forest, secondary growth, and cultivated areas.
At a glance
Sounds
Range map
Range map
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Brownish gray overall, with a rich brown ear patch and chestnut-and-black dappled wings. Exposes bright white tail corners when flushed. Sometimes found in parks and gardens, where it hawks for insects below street lamps. Song a repeated, soft “tok tok tok,” somewhat recalling the sound of a car's locking sounds.
Behavior
In contrast, females display a paler and greyer plumage compared to males. Originally a species complex of 12 different subspecies, differences in territorial vocalizations have been interpreted as evidence for reproductive isolation and, consequently, the delegation of some members of the complex as new species of nightjar under the biological species concept . This species is a resident of the countries of Australia , Bangladesh , Bhutan , Brunei , Cambodia , China , India , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , Nepal , Pakistan , Papua New Guinea , Philippines , Singapore , Thailand , Timor-Leste and Vietnam .
Gallery