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", referring to an old myth that nightjars suck milk from goats. The common name "nightjar", first recorded in 1630, refers to the nocturnal habits of the bird, the second part of the name deriving from the distinctive churring song.

''Caprimulgus'' nightjars are found around Afro-Eurasia and Australasia, and like other nightjars they usually nest on the ground. They are mostly active in the late evening and early morning or at night, and feed predominantly on moths and other large flying insects.

Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. Some species, unusually for birds, perch along a branch, rather than across it, which helps to conceal them during the day. Temperate species are strongly migratory, wintering in the tropics.

''Caprimulgus'' species have relatively long bills and rictal bristles. Many have repetitive and often mechanical songs.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Caprimulgus'' was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. The type species is the European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''). The name is the Latin word for a nightjar; it combines ''capra'' meaning "nanny goat" and ''mulgere'' meaning "to milk". The myth that nightjars suck milk from goats is recounted by Pliny the Elder in his '' Natural History'': "Those called goat-suckers, which resemble a rather large blackbird, are night thieves. They enter the shepherds' stalls and fly to the goats' udders in order to suck their milk, which injures the udder and makes it perish, and the goats they have milked in this way gradually go blind."

Species

The genus contains 35 species.
*Red-necked nightjar, ''Caprimulgus ruficollis''
* Jungle nightjar, ''Caprimulgus indicus''
* Grey nightjar, ''Caprimulgus jotaka'' (sometimes included in ''C. indicus'')
* Palau nightjar, ''Caprimulgus phalaena''
*European nightjar, ''Caprimulgus europaeus''
*Sombre nightjar, ''Caprimulgus fraenatus''
* Rufous-cheeked nightjar, ''Caprimulgus rufigena''
*Egyptian nightjar, ''Caprimulgus aegyptius''
* Sykes's nightjar, ''Caprimulgus mahrattensis''
* Nubian nightjar, ''Caprimulgus nubicus''
* Golden nightjar, ''Caprimulgus eximius''
* Jerdon's nightjar ''Caprimulgus atripennis''
*Large-tailed nightjar, ''Caprimulgus macrurus''
* Mees's nightjar, ''Caprimulgus meesi''
* Andaman nightjar, ''Caprimulgus andamanicus''
*Philippine nightjar, ''Caprimulgus manillensis''
* Sulawesi nightjar, ''Caprimulgus celebensis''
* Donaldson Smith's nightjar, ''Caprimulgus donaldsoni''
*Fiery-necked nightjar, ''Caprimulgus pectoralis''
*Montane nightjar, ''Caprimulgus poliocephalus''
* Indian nightjar, ''Caprimulgus asiaticus''
* Madagascar nightjar, ''Caprimulgus madagascariensis''
*Swamp nightjar, ''Caprimulgus natalensis''
* Nechisar nightjar ''Caprimulgus solala''
*Plain nightjar, ''Caprimulgus inornatus''
* Star-spotted nightjar, ''Caprimulgus stellatus''
*Savanna nightjar, ''Caprimulgus affinis''
* Freckled nightjar, ''Caprimulgus tristigma''
*Bonaparte's nightjar, ''Caprimulgus concretus''
* Salvadori's nightjar, ''Caprimulgus pulchellus''
*Prigogine's nightjar, ''Caprimulgus prigoginei''
* Bates's nightjar, ''Caprimulgus batesi''
*Long-tailed nightjar, ''Caprimulgus climacurus''
* Slender-tailed nightjar, ''Caprimulgus clarus''
*Square-tailed nightjar, ''Caprimulgus fossii''
* Standard-winged nightjar, ''Caprimulgus longipennis''
*Pennant-winged nightjar, ''Caprimulgus vexillarius''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caprimulgus

Bird genera
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus