Freckled nightjar facts for kids

The freckled nightjar is a special kind of bird from the nightjar family. It's also called the freckled rock nightjar. You can find these birds in many parts of Africa, but they are spread out in different areas.

Quick facts for kids Freckled nightjar
male
female Both in Namibia
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Caprimulgus
Species:	tristigma

Where They Live

The freckled nightjar lives in many parts of Africa, especially south of the Sahara Desert. They are not very common in West Africa, but you can find more of them in East Africa. In southern Africa, they live all year in places that are colder and drier. You can often spot them in countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, and South Africa.

These birds have been seen in many African countries, including:

• Angola
• Benin
• Botswana
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Republic of the Congo
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Ivory Coast
• Eswatini
• Ethiopia
• Gabon
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Kenya
• Liberia
• Malawi
• Mali
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

What They Look Like

The freckled nightjar is a large, strong bird. It has long wings and a fairly short tail. From far away, they look dark gray or almost black. But if you get closer, you can see tiny white, brown, and light yellow spots, like freckles, on their upper parts. Their undersides are usually dark brown with white and brown stripes. Their feathers help them blend in perfectly with rocky areas.

Male and female freckled nightjars look a bit different:

• When flying, males have small white spots on their four outer wing feathers. Their two outer tail feathers also have white tips.
• Females have 3 to 4 smaller white spots on their outer wing feathers. They do not have white on their outer tail feathers.
• When their wings are folded, you usually can't see these white spots on either sex.

Their Calls

These birds sing in the early morning and evening. They also sing on nights when the moon is bright. Their song can change, but it's usually a whistle with two or three "whow" notes. They often repeat this song for 30 seconds or more. From a distance, it might even sound like a dog barking!

• When they fly or feel threatened, they make two or three low "wock" sounds.
• Their alarm call is a yelping, gobbling sound.
• If they want to distract something, they make soft "grok-grok" grumbles.

How They Behave

Freckled nightjars are active at dusk, dawn, and at night. During the day, they rest on bare rocks or rocks covered in lichen (a type of moss-like growth). These resting spots can be out in the open or hidden in plants. They can handle very hot rock surfaces, up to 60°C (140°F)! At night, they fly to nearby woodlands or open areas to find food. They also often sit in the middle of roads at night.

Scientists have found that these birds can go into a special deep sleep called torpor. This helps them save energy during the coldest and driest times of the year.

Feeding and Diet

Freckled nightjars mainly eat flying insects. Their favorite foods include moths, termites, and chafers (a type of beetle). They also eat other insects like:

• Beetles
• Butterflies
• Cockroaches
• Mantids
• Lacewings
• Antlions
• Grasshoppers
• Bees
• Wasps
• Ants

During the winter, they are less active because there are fewer insects to eat. The freckled nightjar has a very wide mouth, wider than any other nightjar. This allows them to swallow insects up to 3.5 centimeters (about 1.4 inches) long whole!

They hunt for food at dusk, dawn, and sometimes on moonlit nights. They fly over rocky areas, broken ground, and cattle pastures. They catch flying insects during short flights. Then, they glide back to their resting spots on large rocks or rocky edges.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Freckled nightjars usually have one partner for a long time. One pair was even seen staying together for three years! They often use the same nesting spots year after year. They build their nests in natural hollows (small dips) in rocks. These hollows might be partly shaded or completely open. Wind often fills their nesting spots with small bits of plants and rock chips.

The time when they lay eggs changes depending on where they live:

• In eastern Africa, they lay eggs from September to November or from May to June.
• In southern Africa, they usually lay eggs between August and December, with most eggs laid from September to November.
• In Nigeria, they lay eggs between January and May.

If they lose their first set of eggs, they usually lay new ones. They might also lay a second set of eggs after their first babies have grown up and flown away. Females lay two eggs on two days in a row. The eggs hatch after about 18.5 to 20 days. The female sits on the eggs during the day, and the male helps at night.

The young birds can move around very well within 24 hours of hatching. Both parents take care of them. The female keeps the chicks warm during the day. At night, she and the male take turns keeping them warm and feeding them. The chicks are very well camouflaged and blend in perfectly with the rocks around them. They take their first flight when they are about 19 to 20 days old.

Conservation Status

Scientists haven't counted all the freckled nightjars in the world. However, their numbers seem to be steady. They are quite common in most places where they live. Because of this, they are listed as a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.