Feline Owlet-nightjar

Aegotheles insignis

A large owlet-nightjar of montane rainforest interior. Outlandish and unique appearance. Arching V-shaped, buffy eyebrows, spiky whiskers, rufous or brown body with 3 broad, vertical white bands made of tear-shaped white blotches. One down each flank and one down from the bill to chest. Solitary and sometimes seen on day roost in vine tangles of the mid-storey. Call, a variety of churrs and squeals.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Aegotheles insignis
Authority
Salvadori, 1876
Order
Aegotheliformes
Family
Aegothelidae
Genus
Aegotheles

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Other Birds

White-throated Gerygone

White-throated Gerygone

Gerygone olivacea

Small plain bird with thin bill. Upperparts gray-brown, underparts bright yellow, with white tail spots, white throat, and red eye. Juvenile lacks white throat and can be difficult to distinguish from Fairy Gerygone, which lacks white tail spots. Call a sweet, descending trill. Inhabits open forest and woodland.

Eurasian Curlew

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Scimitar-billed large shorebird of varied open habitats. Note large size, overall brown plumage, and long, decurved bill (appreciably shorter on juvenile). In flight shows white back patch, mostly white underwings. Common call an onomatopoeic "coor-lee." Compare to smaller Whimbrel, which has head stripes, a piping whistled call, and Far Eastern Curlew, which has a buffy rump and extensively marked underwings. Breeds mainly in grasslands, from coastal marshes to upland moors; winters mainly in coastal lowlands, especially mudflats and adjacent marshes.

Wood Stork

Wood Stork

Mycteria americana

Huge, long-legged, black-and-white waterbird, about the size of Great Blue Heron. White body with black flight feathers. Adults have a wrinkly bald head and fairly dark bill; juveniles have paler bill and more messy feathering on head and neck. Bill is thicker and more curved than herons. Forages mainly for fish by moving open bill through water until it feels prey. Found in wetlands, particularly flooded swamps and shallow ponds. Often soars, sometimes with vultures. In Middle and South America, compare with Jabiru, which is even larger than Wood Stork and has entirely white wings.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.