Grey Nightjar
Caprimulgus jotaka
The Grey Nightjar (Caprimulgus jotaka) is a rare nightjars and nighthawk found in 21 countries, weighing about 92 g. The grey nightjar is a species of nightjar found in East Asia, breeding from southeastern Russia south through China, the Korean Peninsula and Japan to northern Indochina and westward along the Himalayas.
About the Grey Nightjar
The grey nightjar is a species of nightjar found in East Asia, breeding from southeastern Russia south through China, the Korean Peninsula and Japan to northern Indochina and westward along the Himalayas. It is largely migratory, wintering in Indochina south to Java in Indonesia, but is resident in warmer areas in the south of its breeding range. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the jungle nightjar, its South Asian relative. The grey nightjar breeds and forages in early successional habitats surrounded by forests; its populations have declined since the 1970s in Japan. Like all nightjars, it is crepuscular to nocturnal, feeding on flying insects, including moths, beetles, flying…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The grey nightjar is a medium-sized nightjar with a large head, large eye, long tail, weak bill and short legs. The plumage is mottled, very similar to the Himalayas subspecies of jungle nightjar (C. indicus harzarae). The forehead, crown, and nape are covered with small, intricate grayish-white and dark brown vermiculated patterns mixed with black longitudinal streaks, with the central black stripe on the crown being particularly prominent. The feathers on the nape have pale brown spots at the tips. Voice: The vocalization of nightjars is an important aspect to distinguish them in field. The grey nightjar song is a series of hollow byuck notes lasting 2–4 seconds and repeated at short intervals, like the firing of a cartoon laser gun (click to hear).
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November, December, with peak activity in April. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Grey Nightjar?
- The grey nightjar is a medium-sized nightjar with a large head, large eye, long tail, weak bill and short legs. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Grey Nightjar?
- The Grey Nightjar is a medium sized bird weighing about 92 g.
- Where can you see a Grey Nightjar?
- The Grey Nightjar occurs in 21 countries, including India, China, Thailand, Vietnam and Bhutan.
- What birds look similar to a Grey Nightjar?
- The Grey Nightjar is most easily confused with the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar, the Freckled Nightjar and the Jungle Nightjar.
- Is the Grey Nightjar endangered?
- The Grey Nightjar is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Grey Nightjar for real
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