Caprimulgus fossii Hartlaub, 1857

Taxonomic Classification

The square-tailed nightjar, with the scientific name Caprimulgus fossii Hartlaub, 1857, is a nightjar species in the family Caprimulgidae.

General Distribution

It is native to tropical and subtropical woodlands of the Afrotropics, and has an extensive range south of the African equator.

Common Name Origin

Despite not having a completely square tail, its common name refers to this feature as a distinguishing field mark.

Similar Species Distinction

The similarly plumaged slender-tailed nightjar, which lives in dry bush country of the tropics, differs from the square-tailed nightjar mainly by its protruding central tail feathers.

Alternative Common Names

Alternative common names for this species include Gabon nightjar, Gaboon nightjar, and Mozambique nightjar.

Seasonal Movement Pattern

This species occurs mainly south of the equator in Africa, but moves into the tropics during the Northern Hemisphere summer.

Isolated Subspecies Range

An isolated subspecies lives in Equatorial Guinea and western Gabon.

Seasonal Visitor Range

It is a seasonal visitor to the northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Tanzania, southern Kenya and southern Uganda.

Year-Round Occurrence Range

It can be found year-round in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.