The Caprimulginae or typical nightjars are a
nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
subfamily within the
nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called goatsuckers, due to the ancient folk ta ...
family, Caprimulgidae. They are medium-size with long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They usually nest on the ground. They feed on flying insects.
They have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. Some species perch facing along a branch, rather than across it as birds usually do. This helps to conceal them during the day. The female lays two patterned eggs directly onto bare ground.
They are mostly active in the late evening and early morning or at night and feed on moths and other large flying insects. The bill opens very wide and has a slightly hooked upper tip.
They are similar in most respects to the nighthawks, but generally have slightly longer bills and plumage that is softer.
Subfamily Caprimulginae — (typical nightjars)
*Genus ''
Nyctipolus
Nyctipolus is a genus of nightjars
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called ...
'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Nyctidromus
Nyctidromus is a genus of nightjars in the family Caprimulgidae. The species are widely distributed in Central and South America.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Nyctidromus'' was introduced in 1838 by the English ornithologist John Gould to accommodate h ...
'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Phalaenoptilus'' – common poorwill
*Genus ''
Siphonorhis
''Siphonorhis'' is a genus of nightjars, known as the Caribbean pauraques, in the family Caprimulgidae.
It contains the following species:
* Jamaican pauraque (''Siphonorhis americana''), possibly extinct
* Least pauraque
The least poor ...
'' – (2 living species)
*Genus ''
Nyctiphrynus'' – (4 species)
*Genus ''
Caprimulgus
''Caprimulgus'' is a large and very widespread genus of nightjars, medium-sized nocturnal birds with long pointed wings, short legs and short bills. ''Caprimulgus'' is derived from the Latin ''capra'', "nanny goat", and ''mulgere'', "to milk", re ...
'' – (40 species, including the
European nightjar
The European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''), common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar, is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northwest ...
)
*Genus ''
Setopagis
''Setopagis'' is a genus of nightjars in the family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to main ...
'' – (4 species)
*Genus ''
Gactornis
The collared nightjar (''Gactornis enarratus'') is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove fore ...
'' – collared nightjar
*Genus ''
Antrostomus
''Antrostomus'' is a genus of nightjars formerly included in the genus '' Caprimulgus''. They are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long pointed wings, short legs and short bills.
''Antrostomus'' nightjars are found in the New World, and like ...
'' – (12 species)
*Genus ''
Hydropsalis
''Hydropsalis'' is a genus of nightjars in the family Caprimulgidae. The species are widely distributed across the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Hydropsalis'' was introduced in 1832 by the German natura ...
'' – (4 species)
*Genus ''
Uropsalis'' (2 species)
*Genus ''
Macropsalis'' – long-trained nightjar
*Genus ''
Eleothreptus'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Systellura'' – (2 species)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1401386