Dusky Nightjar
Antrostomus saturatus
Small dark nightjar with very limited range in the highlands of Costa Rica and Panama. Few obvious plumage features: entire body is intricately patterned with dark brown, black, and buff. Pale corners to tail (white in male, buffy in female). Fairly common above around 1,500 m, where it can be found at the edge of cloud forest. Usually perches on a fence post or low branch. Strictly nocturnal, and easily detected by voice; listen for the trilled “whip, wee-per-wee!,” rising at the end. Closely related to whip-poor-wills further north.
Identification
The dusky nightjar is 21 to 25 cm (8.3 to 9.8 in) long. A male weighed 52.9 g (1.9 oz) and a female 51 g (1.8 oz). The adult male's upperparts are sooty black with fine reddish cinnamon spots and bars. Much of the face is also reddish cinnamon. The central tail feathers are sooty black with reddish cinnamon bars; the outer three pairs have wide white tips and less barring. The wings are blackish with reddish cinnamon bars. The throat and breast are sooty black with scattered white spots and have a narrow band of white and buff separating them. The belly is cinnamon to buff with narrow black bars. The adult female is similar to the male, but the reddish buff markings are larger giving a more reddish overall appearance. The tips of the outer tail feathers are narrow and buff rather than wide and white. Juveniles are somewhat paler and more reddish than the adults.<p>
Taxonomy
The dusky nightjar was originally described as Antrostomus saturatus; that genus was later merged into Caprimulgus and later still restored to generic status. It appears to be most closely related to the eastern and Mexican whip-poor-wills (A. vociferus and A. arizonae, respectively). The dusky nightjar is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Antrostomus saturatus
- Authority
- Salvin, 1870
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Genus
- Antrostomus
Range and habitat
The dusky nightjar has a wide but scattered distribution through the highlands of Costa Rica. In Panama it occurs only on Volcán Barú in Chiriquí Province. In elevation it ranges from 1,500 to 3,100 m (4,900 to 10,200 ft). It inhabits the edges and openings of humid montane forest rather than its interior.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The dusky nightjar is nocturnal. It forages mostly with sallies from a perch several meters above the ground and rarely from the ground itself. Its prey is flying insects; beetles and moths appear to be the most prevalent items.<p>The dusky nightjar's breeding season appears to span from February or March into April. Only one nest has been described; it was "a small grass-lined depression" among grass and ferns and contained one egg.<p>The male dusky nightjar's song is "a trilled, double-noted whistle prurrr prureee or prurrrr prruwhip". It is sung mostly during the breeding season, from a perch and rarely from the ground, and may be sung throughout moonlit nights. A flight call is described as "a scratchy wheer."
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Green-throated Mango
Anthracothorax viridigula
Large, dark hummingbird found in coastal regions and along large rivers. Use caution eliminating the more widespread Black-throated Mango, which often occurs in the same habitats; female-plumaged birds in particular may not be safely separable. Found in mangroves, abandoned plantations, swampy forests, and urban areas, often at higher levels in flowering trees, where it feeds on nectar and hawks for tiny flying insects. In proper light, green throat of male is diagnostic. Tail color is useful if bird can be studied at length; Green-throated’s tail is mostly purple, with brownish central tail feathers (tail of Black-throated is more chestnut, but subject to variation depending on light).
Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird
Tilmatura dupontii
Very small, rather insectlike hummingbird found locally in foothills and highlands; uncommon. Occurs mainly in shrubby areas with flower banks, within areas of open woodland and forest. When feeding at flowers, flies slowly and methodically, like a big bee, often with the tail held cocked. Best field mark is the big white rump patches, which contribute to the beelike aspect. Male has long, forked tail (usually closed in a point) with white bands. Female is rather plain but is distinctly buffy below.
Hunter's Cisticola
Cisticola hunteri
A large, plain cisticola with a reddish cap and two bands across the tail tip, one pale and one dark. Found in open montane habitats with thick herbaceous undergrowth, including forest edge, grassland, and heath, almost always in pairs or small groups. As with other cisticolas, habitat and vocalizations are important to identification. Very similar to Chubb’s Cisticola, but in the small area of overlap, Hunter’s occurs at higher elevations, and is distinguished by the softly streaked back and different vocalizations. Fairly similar to Singing Cisticola, but lacks a rufous panel in the wings. The distinctive song is given in chorus: a frantic series of spitting notes that runs up and down the scale, accompanied by simpler “cher-wee” calls.
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