Red-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis)
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Red-necked Nightjar

Caprimulgus ruficollis Temminck, 1820

68 gWeight

The red-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis) is the largest of the nightjars occurring in Europe.

Busiest months: May · Most records: Spain, Portugal, Morocco

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: Spain, Portugal, Morocco

Red-necked Nightjar has been recorded at 106 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Desembocadura del Guadalhorce – ÁreaSpain190 records
  2. La Janda – ÁreaSpain186 records
  3. RN Estuário do Tejo – Monte de PancasPortugal131 records
More places
  1. Embouchure du Oued SoussMorocco127 records
  2. Quinta d'A RochaPortugal109 records
  3. PN Sous-Massa – Estuaire de l'Oued MassaMorocco65 records
  4. La Janda – Puente del PericónSpain55 records
  5. Sureste PNat – Soto de las JuntasSpain54 records
  6. Monfragüe PN – Portilla del TiétarSpain49 records
  7. Sureste PNat – Miralrío, Velilla de San AntonioSpain49 records

Countries and regions with the most records

SpainPortugalMoroccoGhanaGibraltarSenegal

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 red-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis) is the largest of the nightjars occurring in Europe. It breeds in Iberia and North Africa, and winters in tropical West Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Red-necked Nightjar?

The Red-necked Nightjar weighs around 68 g.

Where does the Red-necked Nightjar live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, Africa: Iberian Peninsula to northwestern Africa. It is most often recorded in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

When is the best time to see the Red-necked Nightjar?

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

Is the Red-necked Nightjar endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-necked Nightjar as Near Threatened.

What does the Red-necked Nightjar eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Red-necked Nightjar in?

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

At a glance

Weight
68 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
198 mm
Tail
148 mm
Bill
24 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

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

Range

Palearctic, Africa: Iberian Peninsula to northwestern Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Nightjars Caprimulgidae
Genus
Caprimulgus

Other birds in the genus Caprimulgus

Jungle NightjarJungle NightjarCaprimulgus indicusGrey NightjarGrey NightjarCaprimulgus jotakaPalau NightjarPalau NightjarCaprimulgus phalaenaEuropean NightjarEuropean NightjarCaprimulgus europaeusSombre NightjarSombre NightjarCaprimulgus fraenatusRufous-cheeked NightjarRufous-cheeked NightjarCaprimulgus rufigenaEgyptian NightjarEgyptian NightjarCaprimulgus aegyptiusSykes's NightjarSykes's NightjarCaprimulgus mahrattensisNubian NightjarNubian NightjarCaprimulgus nubicusGolden NightjarGolden NightjarCaprimulgus eximiusJerdon's NightjarJerdon's NightjarCaprimulgus atripennisLarge-tailed NightjarLarge-tailed NightjarCaprimulgus macrurus
Red-necked Nightjar

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

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