Lyre-tailed Nightjar
Uropsalis lyra
The Lyre-tailed Nightjar (Uropsalis lyra) is a rare nightjars and nighthawk found in 6 countries, weighing about 71 g. The lyre-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
About the Lyre-tailed Nightjar
The lyre-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The male lyre-tailed nightjar has extremely long outer tail feathers from which the species gets its name; they are more than twice as long as its body. The female's tail is much shorter and less graduated. Adults of the nominate subspecies are 23.5 to 28 cm (9.3 to 11 in) long excluding the tail streamers. The tail exceeds 60 cm (24 in) in length. Males weigh about 70 g (2.5 oz) and females about 77 g (2.7 oz). The male's upperparts are brown. Its crown and nape are spotted with grayish white, buff, tawny, and cinnamon; the back also has tawny and cinnamon spots. Voice: The lyre-tailed nightjar's song is a "rollicking...5-11 rising wéeou-tee notes". It is mostly sung at dusk, from a perch or the ground. It is also given in flight or when chasing a female. The male's display flight includes a rapid series of "weep-weep-weep-weepupup" sounds.
What the Lyre-tailed Nightjar sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Lyre-tailed Nightjar can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Lyre-tailed Nightjar?
- The male lyre-tailed nightjar has extremely long outer tail feathers from which the species gets its name; they are more than twice as long as its body. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Lyre-tailed Nightjar?
- The Lyre-tailed Nightjar is a medium sized bird weighing about 71 g.
- Where can you see a Lyre-tailed Nightjar?
- The Lyre-tailed Nightjar occurs in 6 countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and Bolivia.
- What does a Lyre-tailed Nightjar sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Lyre-tailed Nightjar on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Lyre-tailed Nightjar?
- The Lyre-tailed Nightjar is most easily confused with the Swallow-tailed Nightjar.
- Is the Lyre-tailed Nightjar endangered?
- The Lyre-tailed Nightjar is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Lyre-tailed 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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