Buff-collared Nightjar
Antrostomus ridgwayi
The Buff-collared Nightjar (Antrostomus ridgwayi) is a rare nightjars and nighthawk found in 7 countries, weighing about 48 g. The buff-collared nightjar or Ridgway's whip-poor-will is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
About the Buff-collared Nightjar
The buff-collared nightjar or Ridgway's whip-poor-will is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the U.S. state of Arizona.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The buff-collared nightjar is 22 to 23 cm (8.7 to 9.1 in) long. "A. r. ridgwayi" weigh 39.8 to 61.0 g (1.4 to 2.2 oz); one male A. r. troglodytes weighed 51.0 g (1.8 oz). The head, upperparts, and tail are brownish gray with gray, cream, and rust markings. It has a bright cinnamon buff collar on the hindneck and a narrow buffy white band under the throat. The wings are brownish black with cinnamon buff bands. The breast is brownish gray and the belly tan with dark brown bars. The ends of the two outermost tail feathers have much white in the male and a small amount of buff in the female. Voice: The male buff-collared nightjar's song is a "long rising, accelerating series of cuk notes ending in cuk-a-cheea that drops suddenly at the end." Both sexes make "chuck" calls; males give a "quirr" call. It typically sings the most at dawn and dusk but will continue intermittently through the night. It sings nightly between mid May and early August and infrequently during the rest of the year.
What the Buff-collared Nightjar sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, December, with peak activity in May. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Buff-collared Nightjar?
- The buff-collared nightjar is 22 to 23 cm (8.7 to 9.1 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Buff-collared Nightjar?
- The Buff-collared Nightjar is a small sized bird weighing about 48 g.
- Where can you see a Buff-collared Nightjar?
- The Buff-collared Nightjar occurs in 7 countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and El Salvador.
- What does a Buff-collared Nightjar sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Buff-collared Nightjar on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Buff-collared Nightjar?
- The Buff-collared Nightjar is most easily confused with the Dusky Nightjar, the Rufous Nightjar and the Yucatan Nightjar.
- Is the Buff-collared Nightjar endangered?
- The Buff-collared Nightjar is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Buff-collared Nightjar for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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