Egyptian nightjar
Caprimulgus aegyptius
Pavel Shukov · Peshkunsky District
Key facts in one look
- Diet
- Moths, beetles
- Status in Georgia
- Accidental visitor
- Size
- ≈25 cm; wingspan ≈55 cm; ≈80 g
- Habitat
- Sandy desert, sparse scrub
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Conservation
- LC (2019); Georgia NE
The Egyptian nightjar is much paler than the European nightjar: its sandy plumage makes it almost invisible on desert ground. It breeds in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, and winters in tropical Africa. In Georgia it is an accidental visitor: it was seen in the Chorokhi delta in Adjara on 26–27 August 2017, and on the sea coast near Batumi on 17 September 2018. It is not dangerous to people. If you see a pale nightjar over open ground at dusk, watch it closely and, if you can, record its call.
Identification
Egyptian nightjar: how to identify it
A medium-small nightjar with a wide gape, long wings and soft, mottled plumage. It is sand-coloured, barred and streaked with buff and brown. It is clearly paler than the European nightjar.
Length about 25 cm, wingspan 55 cm, weight about 80 g. It is smaller than the European nightjar, but relatively longer-winged and longer-tailed.
The upperparts are sandy, barred and streaked with buff and brown; the underparts are sandy or whitish. The male has tiny white wing spots. The European nightjar's plumage is much darker and more contrasting.
The call is a repetitive, mechanical "kroo-kroo-kroo…". The bird turns its head from side to side, so the sound rises and falls. When telling nightjars apart, the voice is often more reliable than colour, so record it if you can.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
It lives in open desert with a few scattered trees or bushes. It is often near water, in sparse vegetation and scrub, by river floodplains. It prefers sandy desert and is rare on clay. It breeds in two separate areas: north-west Africa, and from Kazakhstan to Sinai, including Central Asia and Iran. In Europe it is a rare visitor. In Georgia it is an accidental visitor. On 26–27 August 2017 it was seen in the Chorokhi delta wetlands in Adjara, the first known record for Georgia. On 17 September 2018 one bird was seen on the Black Sea coast near Batumi.
No records yet
The atlas has no confirmed observation of this species yet, so we do not know which regions of Georgia it lives in.
Share an observationSeen this species? A photo and the place are enough.
It feeds on insects active at dusk, mainly moths and beetles. It catches them in the air. It hunts with a silent, moth-like flight: strong wingbeats alternate with glides on motionless wings.
It is a bird of dusk. By day it lies silent on the ground, blending into sandy soil with its plumage, so it is hard to spot. It rises and starts flying at sundown. In Kazakhstan it arrives in late April and early May and leaves in August–September. It winters in Africa, in the Sahel. It builds no nest: it lays two elongated, elliptical eggs straight on bare ground. The sitting bird stays tight on the eggs, and its colouring is their best protection.
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Only by accident. It was first seen on 26–27 August 2017 in the Chorokhi delta in Adjara. On 17 September 2018 one bird was seen on the sea coast near Batumi. It does not breed in Georgia and does not occur regularly.
The Egyptian nightjar is much paler and sandy, while the European nightjar has dark, contrasting plumage. Its body is smaller, but its wings and tail are relatively longer. The male has only tiny white wing spots. The voice differs too: a monotonous "kroo-kroo-kroo…".
In north-west Africa and from Kazakhstan to Sinai, including Central Asia and Iran. It prefers open, sandy desert, often near water. It builds no nest: it lays two eggs on bare ground.
Insects active at dusk, mainly moths and beetles. It catches them in the air. It hunts with a silent, moth-like flight.
By day it lies silent on the ground and its sandy plumage blends into the soil. It becomes active only at dusk. A bird can lie almost at your feet and go unnoticed.
No. Globally it is Least Concern (LC, 2019). Its range is wide, and the main problem is habitat destruction. In Georgia its national category has not been evaluated.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
