



About the Bates's Nightjar
Bates's nightjar or the forest nightjar, is a bird species of the family Caprimulgidae, native to the Congolian rainforests.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Bates's nightjar is a large, dark nightjar. At rest looks large headed and long tailed. The upperparts and wing coverts are dark brown marked with black and buff streaks and spots, with a normally indistinct buff collar on the hindneck which may be more obvious on some individuals. The underparts are blackish brown with buff speckling on the breast, becoming barred on the belly, the throat is whitish. In flight the male shows a small white spot towards the wingtip and white tips to the two outer tail feathers. The female is paler and lack white spots on the wings or outer tail. Voice: The song of Bates's nightjar is a loud "whow whowwhowwhowwhow" in which following the first note there is a pause then a repeated series of notes.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in August · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Bonaparte's NightjarCaprimulgus concretusBonaparte's nightjar, also known as the Sunda nightjar, is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
Palau NightjarCaprimulgus phalaenaThe Palau nightjar is a species of nightjar endemic to Palau.
Star-spotted NightjarCaprimulgus stellatusThe star-spotted nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
Learn the Bates's Nightjar for real
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