Yucatan Poorwill

Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesShrublandScrapeSmall · 25 g

What the Yucatan Poorwill sounds like

Sonogram of the Yucatan Poorwill: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Oliver Komar · Call · Lamanai (Indian Church) airstrip, Orange Walk District, Belize · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The Yucatan poorwill is 19.5 to 22 cm (7.7 to 8.7 in) long, making it the smallest species of nightjar in the Yucatán Peninsula. One male weighed 21.3 g (0.75 oz) and one female 27.7 g (0.98 oz). Both sexes have a brown morph; there is also a rufous morph that is much more prevalent among females. The former is mostly dark grayish brown with a variety of dusky, gray, and black vermiculation and streaks. Its face is dark sooty brown to brownish black with brown vermiculation. It has a faint buffy collar on its nape and a white patch on the throat. Voice: The Yucatan poorwill's song is "a loud, slightly resonant whirr or whirrrr". It is given at night from a tree perch, mostly between February and October. It also makes "a slightly liquid, at times accelerating puk-puk...and a sharp week week week in flight". The latter is thought to be an alarm call. The song has been confused with the song of the yucatan nightjar (Caprimulgus badius).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Yucatan Poorwill

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 9 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is March, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Yucatan Poorwill

Regular range

The map shades 3 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the Yucatan Poorwill

The Yucatan poorwill is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the Yucatán Peninsula of Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Learn the Yucatan Poorwill in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.