Large nightjar of the eastern ranges of Australia, most commonly seen in the late evening when hawking over water or over clearings in forests.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyNightjars and Allies
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatMarine and coastal; usually found over open ocean, offshore waters, islands, headlands, and other coastal areas.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to February.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Mike FitzGerald
Range map
Range map
1462visible hotspots
9292visible records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
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
Primarily dark gray, with extensive barring. All-dark tail and fairly plain wing evident in flight.
Behavior
Song is a unique bubbling that rises in pitch and frequency.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Queensland
Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
Commonly confused with
Spotted NightjarEurostopodus argusFairly common in inland Australia. Primarily gray-brown with reddish-brown collar and extensive spots and barring. In flight, all-dark tail and prominent pale spots on outer wing visible. Most commonly seen when flushed from road at night.→Large-tailed NightjarCaprimulgus macrurusBrownish 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.→