Nubian nightjar

Nubian nightjar
Illustration by Henrik Grönvold of the subspecies jonesi
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Caprimulgiformes
Family:	Caprimulgidae
Genus:	Caprimulgus
Species:	C. nubicus
Binomial name
Caprimulgus nubicus Lichtenstein, 1823

The Nubian nightjar (Caprimulgus nubicus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Israel, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Description[]

The Nubian nightjar is 20–22 cm long. The bird resembles the Moorish nightjar, but is smaller, has a shorter tail and blunt wings compared to the ̺Moorish nightjar. Another characteristic feature is a red-brown band over the neck. The white wing spots are not further away from the wing tips than other types of nightjars.^[2] The Nubian nightjar (Caprimulgus nubicus, Lichtenstein 1823) is the smallest and slightest nightjar in the Western Palearctic (Snow & Perrins, 1998). The species is relatively widespread in the arid part of eastern Africa, though recorded as uncommon and scarce (Perlman, 2008). In the Middle East, it was reported along the Rift Valley in southern Palestine and the Red Sea coast of southern Arabian Peninsula (Birdlife International, 2012). The Nubian nightjar is a nocturnal species, known for its large eyes and beak, which help it hunt at night. The bird's former range included the Dead Sea, Aqaba, Fidan Valley, and Tassan, but it is now restricted to Fifa Nature Reserve as a result of habitat destruction (RSCN).

References[]

• Kirwan, Guy M. (2004). "Some remarks on the taxonomy of Nubian Nightjar Caprimulgus nubicus, with particular reference to C. n. jonesi Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes, 1899" (PDF). Bulletin of the African Bird Club. 11 (2): 117–125. doi:10.5962/p.309720. Retrieved 20 August 2010.

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