Short-tailed Nighthawk (Lurocalis semitorquatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Short-tailed Nighthawk

Lurocalis semitorquatus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

76 gWeight

The short-tailed nighthawk (Lurocalis semitorquatus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.

Most records: Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Short-tailed Nighthawk has been recorded at 329 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 18 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Estación Biológica La Selva-OTSCosta Rica607 records
  2. Rio Cristalino – listas históricasBrazil353 records
  3. Tranquilo Bay Eco-Adventure LodgePanama310 records
More places
  1. Asa Wright Nature CenterTrinidad & Tobago284 records
  2. PE IntervalesBrazil252 records
  3. Changuinola Canal – San San-Pond SakPanama247 records
  4. PEFI – Jardim Botânico de São PauloBrazil176 records
  5. Laguna Lagarto LodgeCosta Rica166 records
  6. Foz do Iguaçu – listas históricasBrazil145 records
  7. Refugio mixto Caño NegroCosta Rica145 records

Countries and regions with the most records

BrazilCosta RicaPanamaEcuadorArgentinaTrinidad & TobagoGuyanaPeru

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 short-tailed nighthawk (Lurocalis semitorquatus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Mexico, in every Central American country except El Salvador, in Trinidad and Tobago, and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

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

Questions

How big is the Short-tailed Nighthawk?

The Short-tailed Nighthawk weighs around 76 g.

Where does the Short-tailed Nighthawk live?

Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: widespread. It is most often recorded in Brazil, Costa Rica and Panama.

Is the Short-tailed Nighthawk endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Short-tailed Nighthawk as Least Concern.

What does the Short-tailed Nighthawk eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Short-tailed Nighthawk in?

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

At a glance

Weight
76 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
185 mm
Tail
84 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
13 mm

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

Range

Middle America, South America: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Nightjars Caprimulgidae
Genus
Lurocalis

Other birds in the genus Lurocalis

Rufous-bellied NighthawkRufous-bellied NighthawkLurocalis rufiventrisSpotted 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 archboldiMalaysian Eared NightjarMalaysian Eared NightjarLyncornis temminckiiGreat Eared NightjarGreat Eared NightjarLyncornis macrotis
Short-tailed Nighthawk

Download illustration

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

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