Listen to the Indian nightjar
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Indian nightjar
The Indian nightjar is a bird in the family Caprimulgidae (order Caprimulgiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 42 g.
What does the Indian nightjar sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as indian nightjar and song. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The Indian nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus) is a small nightjar which is a resident breeder in open lands across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Like most nightjars it is crepuscular and is best detected from its characteristic calls at dawn and dusk that have been likened to a stone skipping on a frozen lake - a series of clicks that become shorter and more rapid. They are sometimes spotted on roads when their eyes gleam red in the spotlight of a vehicle. There is considerable plumage variation across its range and can be hard to differentiate from other nightjars in the region especially in the field.
Related birds in the genus Caprimulgus
More from the family Caprimulgidae
Frequently asked questions
What does an Indian nightjar sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the Indian nightjar on this page, including its indian nightjar and song. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the Indian nightjar endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Indian nightjar as “least concern”.
What family does the Indian nightjar belong to?
The Indian nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus) belongs to the family Caprimulgidae in the order Caprimulgiformes.
Sources & credits
- Indian Nightjar by Gypsypkd – Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Jayamangali Blackbuck Sanctuary, Tumkur, Karnataka, India by Mike Prince – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1151175 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Indian nightjar – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Badjoby – CC BY-SA 3.0