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Nightjars

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds, widely distributed across the world except in Antarctica and some islands like the Seychelles. Known for their long wings, short legs, and tiny bills, they are also referred to as goatsuckers or bugeaters, feeding primarily on insects. They typically roost on roads and nest on the ground. Nightjars are masters of camouflage, with their plumage often mimicking the colors of bark or leaves, and some species even perch lengthwise along branches to enhance concealment. There are generally two subfamilies: the widespread typical nightjars and the New World's nighthawks, both featuring small feet and long wings, but the typical nightjars have additional facial bristles and softer feathers. One unique member, the common poorwill, can hibernate for extended periods. Systematics and classification have evolved with time, and recent taxonomical revisions have seen the nightjars' order, Caprimulgiformes, refined to exclude related families like potoos and frogmouths. Habitats vary from deserts to rainforests, with some species even adapting to mountainous regions. Migration patterns are not fully understood, but several species migrate seasonally. Conservation is challenging due to difficulty in studying these elusive birds, with some species at risk of extinction or poorly understood in terms of population, like the Vaurie's nightjar. Nightjars have also permeated culture and history, lending their name to various entities and featuring in popular songs by artists like Elton John and Sting.

Regions

Categories

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Albatrosses
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Austral Storm Petrels
Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Treecreepers
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australian Mudnesters
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Berrypeckers, Longbills
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bowerbirds
Bristlebirds
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cockatoos
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Cranes
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Guineafowl
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Logrunners
Lyrebirds
Magpie Goose
Megapodes
Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
New World Quail

Nightjars

Northern Storm Petrels
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Ostriches
Owlet-nightjars
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted Berrypeckers
Painted-snipes
Pardalotes
Pelicans
Penguins
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plains-wanderer
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
Satinbirds
Scrubbirds
Shrikes
Shriketit
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treeswifts
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
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Species Categories

AlbatrossesAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian TreecreepersAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralian MudnestersAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBarn OwlsBee-eatersBerrypeckers, LongbillsBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBowerbirdsBristlebirdsBulbulsBuntingsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCranesCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGuineafowlGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoopoesHornbillsIbises, SpoonbillsIfritJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLeaf Warblers & AlliesLogrunnersLyrebirdsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNew World QuailNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOstrichesOwlet-nightjarsOwlsOystercatchersPainted BerrypeckersPainted-snipesPardalotesPelicansPenguinsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPlains-wandererPloughbillPloversRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesSatinbirdsScrubbirdsShrikesShriketitSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreeswiftsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies

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