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Spotted Nightjar
(Eurostopodus argus)
 Aboriginal name(s): "kalka", "kwoynkordong" (WA)
Size: 25-28 cm
Weight: 75-130 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Spotted Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal predators.
Their plumage is
highly cryptic.
They are primarily dark grey-brown, with rufous and grey streaking
and barring. They have small white spots on both sides of the
throat. While perched on the ground, the tip of the tail extends
clearly beyond the dark-grey wing tips.
In-flight one can see the prominent white spots on the outer
primaries that give the species its name.
The eyes are dark-brown and have the
typical, unusual form of other nightjars. The small, downward-curved
bill is dark-grey.
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Twitcher's tip |
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They are distinguished from White-throated Nightjars by
their more rufous general appearance, also in-flight, when their
rufous underparts show. In-flight the main distinction between
the two species is that Spotted Nightjars have prominent white
spots on their outer primaries.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See
Spotted Nightjar at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Spotted Nightjar is available
HERE
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Spotted Nightjars are a partially migratory, partially sedentary
species that occurs in much of Australia and on some islands in
Indonesia.
In Australia, Spotted Nightjars can potentially be found on most
of the continent - they are ABSENT only eastward and southward
of the Great Dividing Range, from coastal central QLD to
south-eastern SA. They do not occur on Tasmania either.
In the North of their range they are mostly sedentary or
locally migratory, while birds from the southern parts of their
range will migrate into the tropics during the southern winter.
Spotted Nightjars are very adaptive and can be found in a variety
of mostly semi-arid to arid habitats, such as
mallee
or mulga-dominated
scrub,
but also dry
woodland,
with a preference for stony or sandy areas
(often on hilltops and ridges). We have also found them in
regrowth dominated by wattles and young
eucalypts
after bushfire.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
We first found Spotted Nightjars in the
Pilliga scrub
in November 2018, when a bird was flushed from the side of a dirt road.
A Spotted Nightjar was found at Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla,
QLD, in June 2019.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Near-dorsal view of a Spotted Nightjar in flight
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]
Spotted Nightjars usually do not perch on shrubs or trees;
they are either found on the ground or in the air.
The type of habitat in which we have found Spotted Nightars
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, November 2018]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
are welcome.