Puerto Rican Nightjar
Antrostomus noctitherus
A nocturnal species of dry mature woodlands with open understory and dense leaf litter. Hunts by “flycatching” from tree limbs and roosts on tree limbs, parallel to limb, and on ground. The similar Chuck-will’s-widow has a rustier tail without the white tail tip seen on Puerto Rican Nightjar. Nighthawk species have a white slash on outer wing, most easily seen in flight, that the Puerto Rican Nightjar lacks. Heard more often than seen, this species’ song is a repeated, burry “whip, whip, whip, whip…” or “weep, weep, weep, weep…”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Antrostomus noctitherus
- Authority
- (Wetmore, 1919)
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Genus
- Antrostomus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher
Bias musicus
Unusual, chunky, short-tailed, crested, yellow-eyed member of the vanga family. Males are strikingly black-and-white, with a small white patch at the front of the wing. Females have a chestnut back, blackish head, and pale underparts. The wings are short and rounded, and the flight is weak. Found in the canopy of humid forest, at low and middle elevations, often along forest edge and clearings. The variable song consists of slurred whistles. Calls include rasps and clearer bulbul-like notes.
Sick's Swift
Chaetura meridionalis
Small swift with a uniform brown body contrasting with a pale-ochre rump and slightly paler throat. The tail is square-tipped and quite short. Breeds in tree cavities or buildings and forages over a variety of habitats from forests to cities. Highly migratory.
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fusca
Large scoter, with distinctive white patch on wing. Dark chocolate-brown overall; males are darker than females and have small white mark under eye. Note bill pattern: mostly yellow with a dark knob on top and a subtle pinkish tip. Females have two rounded white patches on face. Breeds on ponds, lakes, or rivers in woodland or tundra across much of northern Europe. Winters mainly in coastal waters, sometimes in large flocks. Occasionally found on large inland lakes during migration. Dives frequently, feeding on mollusks and crustaceans.
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