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Birds

Indian
Nightjar

Least Concern

Stable

Indian Nightjar

Caprimulgus asiaticus

This nightjar is small and short-tailed with white corners to the tail, a golden nape and collar, dark cheeks and white patches on the sides of the throat. The crown is grey and the breast is finely barred in brown. The males have more white on the tail while the female is more heavily streaked on the crown. It is differentiated from Sykes's nightjar by the dark undertail and from Jerdon's nightjar by the shorter tail and white patches on the sides of the throat.

The call is distinctive and has been likened to a stone skipped on a frozen lake or a ping-pong ball bouncing rapidly and coming to rest.

It flies after sundown with an easy, silent moth-like flight. During the day, Indian nightjar lies still on the ground, concealed by its plumage; it is then difficult to detect, blending in with the soil.

Common Indian Nightjar, Indian Little Nightjar

Regional Names
  • Assamese:
    দিনকণা
  • Bengali:
    রাতচরা
  • Gujarati:
    નાનુ દશરથીયું, દેશી છાપો
  • Hindi:
    छिपाक, डाब चिड़ी
  • Kannada:
    ನತ್ತಿಂಗ
  • Malayalam:
    നാട്ടുരാച്ചുക്ക്
  • Marathi:
    सामान्य रातवा, भारतीय रात्रिंचर, कुत्त्या पाखरु (कोकण भाग)
  • Nepali:
    चुक्चुके चैतेचरा
  • Sanskrit:
    छिप्पिका, नप्तृका
  • Tamil:
    சாவுக் குருவி
Media Gallery
Taxanomy

CAPRIMULGIFORMES
CAPRIMULGIDAE
Caprimulgus asiaticus

Quick Facts
  • Their bright reflective eye-shine makes them easy to spot in the beams of vehicle headlights. They may however be stunned by bright lights and many are killed by vehicular traffic.
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