Birdsong field guide
Bates's Nightjar
Caprimulgus batesi
A large, dark forest nightjar endemic to the Congo Basin, characterized by its cryptic plumage and preference for primary rainforest habitats.
What it sounds like
A series of loud, hollow, and deliberate 'ho' or 'whow' notes that descend slightly in pitch.
Field notes
- It is one of the largest members of the Caprimulgus genus, reaching lengths of up to 30 centimeters.
- The species is named after George Latimer Bates, an American naturalist who documented West African birds.
- Unlike many nightjars that inhabit open country, this species is strictly restricted to dense, primary lowland rainforest.
- Its plumage is significantly darker than most relatives, aiding its camouflage in the deep shadows of the forest floor.
- It is known to hunt large insects like beetles and moths over the forest canopy and along river edges at night.
Habitat
Primary lowland tropical rainforest and riverine forest.
Range
Central and West Africa, spanning the Congo Basin from Cameroon and Gabon to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Similar & commonly confused birds
Andaman NightjarCaprimulgus andamanicusBonaparte's NightjarCaprimulgus concretusChirruping NightjarCaprimulgus griseatusDonaldson Smith's NightjarCaprimulgus donaldsoniEgyptian NightjarCaprimulgus aegyptiusEurasian NightjarCaprimulgus europaeusFiery-necked NightjarCaprimulgus pectoralisFreckled NightjarCaprimulgus tristigma
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