Scissor-tailed Nightjar

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Quick Facts

Nocturnal
  • Scientific Name: Hydropsalis torquata
  • Spanish Name: Chotacabras tijereta
  • Family: Caprimulgidae
  • Known Nicknames: Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Brazilian Nightjar
  • Average Length: 28–32 cm / 11–13 in
  • Average Weight: 50–70 g / 1.8–2.5 oz
  • Wingspan: 50–60 cm / 20–24 in
  • Key Feature: Extremely long, deeply forked tail (especially in males)
  • Primary Diet: Insectivore
  • Range: Central and eastern South America (Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina)
  • Habitat: Open savanna, grasslands, scrubby woodlands, and forest edges
  • Social Structure: Solitary or in pairs
  • Nesting/Breeding: Directly on the ground, no nest built
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
  • Population Trend: Stable

The Scissor-tailed Nightjar (*Hydropsalis torquata*) is a master of nocturnal camouflage and aerial agility, instantly recognizable by its most dramatic feature: the male’s extraordinarily long, deeply forked tail feathers that can extend up to twice the length of its body, resembling a pair of open scissors in flight. True to its nightjar family, it has a flat head, a tiny bill that gapes wide to scoop up moths and beetles, and cryptic, mottled brown and gray plumage that perfectly mimics dead leaves or bark on the forest floor. A special feature is its low, mechanical “churring” call, often repeated for minutes on end during breeding season, while its large, dark eyes give it exceptional night vision to hunt from dusk until dawn. Found in open woodlands and savannas of South America, this bird is a living paradox: an exquisitely camouflaged lump by day, transformed into a ghostly, tail-streaming acrobat by night.

Fun Facts

The scissor-tailed nightjar is named for its wildly elongated outer tail feathers, which can be longer than its body and are used by males in dramatic, clapping flight displays during courtship. Unlike many birds, it has a bizarre adaptation for feeding: its beak is tiny and weak, but its gape is enormous and lined with stiff, bristle-like feathers that act as a net to funnel moths and beetles into its mouth mid-flight. It also has a unique “squeaky toy” call—a sharp, whistled *pwee-pwee*—that sounds more like a rubber duck than a nocturnal bird. During the day, it doesn’t just sit still; it often perches lengthwise along a branch, blending in so perfectly with bark that it seems to vanish, even closing its eyes to hide the reflective shine.

Habitats & Distribution

The Scissor-tailed Nightjar inhabits open and semi-open landscapes, primarily savannas, grasslands, scrublands, and the edges of dry forests. It is also found in disturbed areas such as pastures, agricultural fields, and clearings, often near water sources. This species avoids dense, humid forests, preferring habitats with sparse ground cover where its cryptic plumage provides camouflage. Geographically, its distribution spans central and eastern South America. It occurs from central and eastern Brazil south through Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina, extending into Bolivia and possibly eastern Peru. Its range covers much of the Cerrado and Pantanal regions, as well as the Pampas.

Behaviours & Reproduction

The Scissor-tailed Nightjar is generally solitary outside of the breeding season, with no persistent pair bonds or social groups. Mating is initiated by the male’s aerial display, where he flies in a slow, fluttering pattern while fanning his long, forked tail and emitting a mechanical, churring call to attract a female. Once paired, they do not build a nest; instead, the female lays a single egg directly on bare ground, often among leaf litter or on a rocky outcrop, relying on cryptic coloration for camouflage. A unique reproductive strategy involves the male performing a distraction display—feigning a broken wing or dragging his tail—to lure predators away from the egg or chick. Both parents share incubation duties, with the female brooding during the day and the male taking over at night, and the chick is precocial, leaving the nest site within days of hatching to follow its parents.

Diet

The Scissor-tailed Nightjar is an aerial insectivore, meaning its diet consists exclusively of flying insects captured in mid-air during its crepuscular and nocturnal foraging flights. It primarily feeds on moths, beetles, and other large, soft-bodied insects, often hunting near water sources, roads, or open fields where insect activity is high. A fascinating aspect of its feeding behavior is its use of a highly specialized, wide gape lined with stiff bristles (rictal bristles), which act as a net to funnel prey into its mouth while flying. Additionally, like other nightjars, it has a remarkably large stomach relative to its body size, allowing it to consume and digest a substantial number of hard-bodied insects in a single feeding session, with indigestible parts like beetle wings being later regurgitated as pellets.

Colors

The Scissor-tailed Nightjar is predominantly mottled in cryptic shades of brown, gray, and black, with fine barring and speckling that mimics leaf litter and bark for camouflage. Males have a distinctive white wing patch and white outer tail tips, while females show buff instead of white. Both sexes have a narrow, pale nuchal collar and dark, irregular streaking on the breast, with the long, deeply forked tail being its most unique feature.

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