Great Eared-Nightjar
Lyncornis macrotis
Unique, feline-looking nightjar. Distinct ears and frequently erect posture distinguish it from many other nightjars. Plumage consists of complex shades of browns which can vanish into the background when perched. Noticeably long-tailed in flight. Inhabits forests, forest edges, and fields and plains with some tree cover. Gives a loud “bee-AHWEE!”
Identification
The great eared nightjar is the largest species in the family in terms of length, which can range from 31 to 41 cm (12 to 16 in). Males weigh an average of 131 g (4.6 oz) and females weigh an average of 151 g (5.3 oz), making it the second heaviest species in the family after the nacunda nighthawk.
Taxonomy
The great eared nightjar was formally described in 1831 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors based on a sample collected in the neighbourhood of Manila in the Philippines. Vigors coined the binomial name Caprimulgus macrotis. The great eared nightjar was formerly placed in the genus Eurostopodus. It and the closely related Malaysian eared nightjar were moved to the resurrected genus Lyncornis based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 that found large genetic differences between the great eared nightjar and other species in Eurostopodus. The genus name Lyncornis combines the Ancient Greek lunx / lunkos (meaning "lynx") with ornis, meaning "bird". The specific epithet macrotis is from the Ancient Greek makrōtēs, meaning "long-eared" (from makros meaning "long" and ous, ōtos meaning "ear").<p>Five subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Lyncornis macrotis
- Authority
- (Vigors, 1831)
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Genus
- Lyncornis
Range and habitat
It is found in South Asia and Southeast Asia with populations in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or moist lowland tropical forests.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Like other nightjars they are active at dusk and at night. They have a distinctive call which includes a sharp tsiik followed by a pause and a two-syllable ba-haaww.<p>The nest is a scrape on the ground and the clutch consists of a single egg. The chick is well camouflaged among leaf litter.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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White-bearded Manakin
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Fairly common and widespread through much of South America. Males are distinctive with white throat, sharply defined black cap, black back and wings, and grayish belly. Legs bright orange-red. Females are duller olive with paler belly. Note red legs to help separate from other female manakins. Like most manakins, quite plump with a rather short tail and bill. Males gather at display sites in the understory of forest, where they make loud snapping noises with their wings. Also listen for a descending “peew” call. Away from display sites, rather inconspicuous and usually encountered singly, often around a fruiting tree.
Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher
Poecilotriccus plumbeiceps
Tiny flycatcher of dense vine-tangled, woody habitats including forest edges and second growth where it is easily overlooked. Distinctive plumage with a gray crown and a cinnamon face wrapping around a darker ear patch. It is olive above and paler below with two yellowish wing bars. The song is a low and sharp “trrrp” easily mistaken for a frog or an insect.
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