Great eared nightjar

   ›      ›   Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis

The great eared nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) belongs to the family of nightjars, Caprimulgidae. These nightjar species are distributed in the Indian subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Philippines. These species are nocturnal or crepuscular and are related to frogmouths. There are five recognized subspecies of these nightjars.

Taxonomy of Great eared nightjar

  • Scientific Name: Lyncornis macrotis
  • Common Name: Great eared nightjar
  • French: Engoulevent oreillard; German: Riesennachtschwalbe; Spanish: Chotacabras orejudo;
  • Other names: Caprimulgus macrotis Vigors, 1831; Eurostopodus mindanensis;
  • Family: Caprimulgidae › Caprimulgiformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: (Vigors, 1831)
The five recognized subspecies of Lyncornis macrotis are: L. m. macropterus Bonaparte, 1850, L. m. bourdilloni A. O. Hume, 1875, L. m. macrotis (Vigors, 1831), L. m. cerviniceps Gould, 1838 and L. m. jacobsoni Junge, 1936.

Description

The great eared nightjar is a small nocturnal bird, measuring about 30 to 40 cm in length. The male is smaller and weighs around 130 grams, while the female weighs 150 grams. They have brown and dark brown upper parts with buff speckles and spots. The crown may have bold blackish brown spotting. They have strong wings and catch the insect prey as they fly. The legs are week and poorly developed and the bird may not be able to walk well. These nightjar have the characteristic tufts on the head, giving them a eared appearance. They are active at dawn, dusk and the night. Their call is a loud, sharp "tsiik" followed by "ba-haaww" sound.
Birds of India - Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis
Indian birds - Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis
Indian birds - Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis
Birds of India - Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis
Birds of India - Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis
Indian birds - Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis
Indian birds - Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis
Birds of India - Great eared nightjar - Lyncornis macrotis


Habitat

These great eared nightjar species inhabit dense tropical forests, secondary forests and moist lowland forests. They prefer areas near flowing waters and clearances in the forest cover.

Diet and feeding habits

These nightjars are nocturnal or crepuscular and feed on insects, beetles and moths.

Breeding

The breeding season of these nightjar species is between January and May in South India and Malaysia. The nest is a scraped hollow on the ground. A single egg is laid and both the parents take turns to incubate. The nightjar parents camouflage chick among leaf litter on the forest floor.

Distribution

The great eared nightjar subspecies L. m. macropterus is distributed in Indonesian islands (Talaud Islands, Sulawesi Islands, Banggai Islands, Sangihe Islands and Sula Islands). The subspecies L. m. bourdilloni is distributed in Southwest India. The subspecies L. m. macrotis is distributed in more than eleven islands of Philippines. The subspecies L. m. cerviniceps is distributed in Northeast India, Bangladesh, South China and southeast Asia. The subspecies L. m. jacobsoni occurs in Simeulue Island located off Northwest Sumatra in Indonesia.

Movement and migration patterns

These great eared nightjar species are non-migratory and are resident birds. They may make local movements for feeding and breeding.

Conservation status and concerns

The global population of these nightjar species has not been quantified. The overall population trend is considered to be stable. It has extremely large range and hence considered not "Vulnerable" to extinction.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these nightjar species and has listed them as of "Least Concern".

Biological classification of Lyncornis macrotis
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Caprimulgiformes
Family:Caprimulgidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Lyncornis
Species:L. macrotis
Binomial name:Lyncornis macrotis
Distribution:Indian subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Philippines;
Diet and feeding habits:insects like moths, beetles, bugs and termites;
IUCN status listing:
Least Concern

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