Starry Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles tatei)
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Starry Owlet-nightjar

Aegotheles tatei Rand, 1941

25–30 cmLength52 gWeight

The starry owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles tatei), also known as the spangled owlet-nightjar, is a small to medium-sized, secretive nocturnal bird species found in the lowland forests of New Guinea.

Busiest months: July and September · Most records: Papua New Guinea

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Starry Owlet-nightjar has been recorded at 3 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kwatu LodgePapua New Guinea48 records
  2. Elevala and Ketu RiversPapua New Guinea5 records
  3. Elevala RiverPapua New Guinea2 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Papua New Guinea

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 starry owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles tatei), also known as the spangled owlet-nightjar, is a small to medium-sized, secretive nocturnal bird species found in the lowland forests of New Guinea. Like other owlet-nightjars in the family Aegothelidae, it has a distinctive appearance that falls between an owl and a nightjar. The species is very poorly known, recorded only from a few specimens and sightings.

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

Questions

How big is the Starry Owlet-nightjar?

The Starry Owlet-nightjar is about 25–30 cm long and weighs around 52 g.

Where does the Starry Owlet-nightjar live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: Fly/Elevala area of east-central New Guinea and Amazon Bay area of far southeastern New Guinea. It is most often recorded in Papua New Guinea.

When is the best time to see the Starry Owlet-nightjar?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July and September (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Starry Owlet-nightjar endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Starry Owlet-nightjar as Least Concern.

What does the Starry Owlet-nightjar eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Starry Owlet-nightjar in?

It belongs to the family Owlet-nightjars (Aegothelidae), order Aegotheliformes.

At a glance

Length
25–30 cm
Weight
52 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
146 mm
Tail
130 mm
Bill
20 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

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

Range

Australasia: Fly/Elevala area of east-central New Guinea and Amazon Bay area of far southeastern New Guinea

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owlet-nightjars Aegothelidae
Genus
Aegotheles

Other birds in the genus Aegotheles

Feline Owlet-nightjarFeline Owlet-nightjarAegotheles insignisMoluccan Owlet-nightjarMoluccan Owlet-nightjarAegotheles crinifronsWallace's Owlet-nightjarWallace's Owlet-nightjarAegotheles wallaciiMountain Owlet-nightjarMountain Owlet-nightjarAegotheles albertisiNew Caledonian Owlet-nightjarNew Caledonian Owlet-nightjarAegotheles savesiBarred Owlet-nightjarBarred Owlet-nightjarAegotheles bennettiiVogelkop Owlet-nightjarVogelkop Owlet-nightjarAegotheles affinisKarimui Owlet-nightjarKarimui Owlet-nightjarAegotheles terborghiAustralian Owlet-nightjarAustralian Owlet-nightjarAegotheles cristatus
Starry Owlet-nightjar

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