Bird Album
Plain Nightjar
Caprimulgus inornatus Heuglin, 1869
50 gWeight
The plain nightjar (Caprimulgus inornatus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
Busiest months: March and November–December · Most records: Ghana, Kenya, Uganda
Where and when it's recorded
Plain Nightjar has been recorded at 83 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 18 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Tsavo West NP – Ngulia LodgeKenya66 records
- Shai Hills Resource ReserveGhana39 records
- Amurum Forest ReserveNigeria25 records
More places
- Shai Hills RR – Kandra RouteGhana25 records
- Murchison Falls NP – North sideUganda18 records
- Awash NP – southern sectionEthiopia17 records
- Tsavo West NP – Kilaguni LodgeKenya14 records
- Bonkro VillageGhana12 records
- Tsavo West NPKenya11 records
- Awash NPEthiopia10 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 plain nightjar (Caprimulgus inornatus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Plain Nightjar?
The Plain Nightjar weighs around 50 g.
Where does the Plain Nightjar live?
Its breeding range: Africa: Mauritania and northern Senegal to Ethiopia and Somalia, also southwestern Arabian Peninsula. It is most often recorded in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda.
When is the best time to see the Plain Nightjar?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Plain Nightjar endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Plain Nightjar as Least Concern.
What does the Plain Nightjar eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Plain Nightjar in?
It belongs to the family Nightjars (Caprimulgidae), order Caprimulgiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 50 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Varied
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 153 mm
- Tail
- 108 mm
- Bill
- 18 mm
- Tarsus
- 17 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: Mauritania and northern Senegal to Ethiopia and Somalia, also southwestern Arabian Peninsula
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Nightjars Caprimulgidae
- Genus
- Caprimulgus
Other birds in the genus Caprimulgus
Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollis
Jungle NightjarCaprimulgus indicus
Grey NightjarCaprimulgus jotaka
Palau NightjarCaprimulgus phalaena
European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
Sombre NightjarCaprimulgus fraenatus
Rufous-cheeked NightjarCaprimulgus rufigena
Egyptian NightjarCaprimulgus aegyptius
Sykes's NightjarCaprimulgus mahrattensis
Nubian NightjarCaprimulgus nubicus
Golden NightjarCaprimulgus eximius
Jerdon's NightjarCaprimulgus atripennis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Xavier Rufray. ↗
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