Eared Poorwill (Nyctiphrynus mcleodii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Eared Poorwill

Nyctiphrynus mcleodii (Brewster, 1888)

20–21 cmLength35 gWeight

The eared poorwill (Nyctiphrynus mcleodii) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.

Busiest months: February and April · Most records: Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Eared Poorwill has been recorded at 1 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Reserva Ecológica Sierra de San Juan – La NoriaMexico148 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Mexico

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The eared poorwill (Nyctiphrynus mcleodii) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Mexico.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Eared Poorwill?

The Eared Poorwill is about 20–21 cm long and weighs around 35 g.

Where does the Eared Poorwill live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: western Mexico. It is most often recorded in Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Eared Poorwill?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Eared Poorwill endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Eared Poorwill as Least Concern.

What does the Eared Poorwill eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Eared Poorwill in?

It belongs to the family Nightjars (Caprimulgidae), order Caprimulgiformes.

At a glance

Length
20–21 cm
Weight
35 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
120 mm
Tail
106 mm
Bill
17 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America: western Mexico

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Nightjars Caprimulgidae
Genus
Nyctiphrynus

Other birds in the genus Nyctiphrynus

Choco PoorwillChoco PoorwillNyctiphrynus rosenbergiYucatan PoorwillYucatan PoorwillNyctiphrynus yucatanicusOcellated PoorwillOcellated PoorwillNyctiphrynus ocellatusSpotted NightjarSpotted NightjarEurostopodus argusWhite-throated NightjarWhite-throated NightjarEurostopodus mystacalisSolomons NightjarSolomons NightjarEurostopodus nigripennisNew Caledonian NightjarNew Caledonian NightjarEurostopodus exulSatanic NightjarSatanic NightjarEurostopodus diabolicusPapuan NightjarPapuan NightjarEurostopodus papuensisArchbold's NightjarArchbold's NightjarEurostopodus archboldi
Eared Poorwill

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Antonio Robles. ↗

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