Scissor-tailed Nightjar
Hydropsalis torquata
The Scissor-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata) is a rare nightjars and nighthawk found in 7 countries, weighing about 59 g. The scissor-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
About the Scissor-tailed Nightjar
The scissor-tailed nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is distributed over much of eastern South America.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The most distinctive feature of the scissor-tailed nightjar is the male's elongated outer tail feathers, which are almost twice as long as its body. Not including those feathers, the two sexes are 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 11.8 in) long; including them, the male is up to 66 cm (26 in) long. Males weight 47.5 to 63 g (1.7 to 2.2 oz) and females 48 to 60 g (1.7 to 2.1 oz). Males of the nominate subspecies have brown upperparts with grayish white speckles; the middle of the back also has blackish streaks and tawny spots. It has a broad tawny collar on the hindneck.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Scissor-tailed Nightjar can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Scissor-tailed Nightjar?
- The most distinctive feature of the scissor-tailed nightjar is the male's elongated outer tail feathers, which are almost twice as long as its body. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Scissor-tailed Nightjar?
- The Scissor-tailed Nightjar is a small sized bird weighing about 59 g.
- Where can you see a Scissor-tailed Nightjar?
- The Scissor-tailed Nightjar occurs in 7 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.
- What birds look similar to a Scissor-tailed Nightjar?
- The Scissor-tailed Nightjar is most easily confused with the Ladder-tailed Nightjar and the White-tailed Nightjar.
- Is the Scissor-tailed Nightjar endangered?
- The Scissor-tailed Nightjar is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Scissor-tailed Nightjar for real
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