Caprimulgus longipennis Shaw, 1796

Size

This species is a medium-sized nightjar, measuring 20–23 centimetres (7.9–9.1 in) in length.

Plumage

When roosting on the ground during the day, its plumage is mainly variegated grey, with a browner collar.

Body Shape and Flight

It has a shadowy body shape, with easy, silent flight that resembles a moth's. It is relatively short-tailed, and has no white markings in its wings or tail.

Vocalization

Its song is a churring trill.

Male Breeding Ornaments

During the breeding season, adult males grow specialized ornamental feathers: a broad secondary flight feather on each wing that elongates to up to 53.5 centimetres (21.1 in), over twice the length of the bird's entire body.

Ornamental Feather Function

In normal flight, these elongated feathers trail behind the bird, but they are held upright like standards during display flight. Researchers have hypothesized that these large feathers evolved through intense sexual selection.

Female Identification

Outside of the breeding season, females can be distinguished from males by their smaller size, and their similarity to the pennant-winged nightjar, most notably a white patch on the throat and dark barring on the belly.

Breeding Range

The standard-winged nightjar is a resident breeder across Africa, ranging from southern Senegal eastward to Ethiopia.

Non-breeding Range

It spends the non-breeding season in the Sahel region to the north.

Habitat

Its occupied habitats include lightly wooded savanna with scattered scrub, and agricultural land located within thickly wooded savanna.

Elevation Range

It has been recorded at elevations as high as 2,030 metres (6,660 ft) in Ethiopia, but most commonly occurs from sea level up to 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in elevation.

Migratory Behavior

Standard-winged nightjars are migratory, and travel to and from their breeding grounds each year.

Breeding Season Timing

The exact timing of the breeding season varies by region, and is influenced by prey availability and rainfall. Southern populations breed earlier than populations located further north.

Conservation Status

The global population of the standard-winged nightjar is not considered threatened, and the species is listed as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.