Square-tailed nightjar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Square-tailed nightjar
male and female
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Caprimulgiformes
Family:	Caprimulgidae
Genus:	Caprimulgus
Species:	C. fossii
Binomial name
Caprimulgus fossii Hartlaub, 1857
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The square-tailed nightjar (scientific name: Caprimulgus fossii) is a type of nightjar bird. It belongs to the Caprimulgidae family. These birds live in warm, wet forests and woodlands in Africa, south of the equator.

This bird is called "square-tailed" because of its tail shape. However, its tail is not perfectly square. It helps tell them apart from other similar nightjars. For example, the slender-tailed nightjar has longer central tail feathers. People also call this bird the Gabon nightjar or the Mozambique nightjar.

Where the Square-Tailed Nightjar Lives

The square-tailed nightjar mostly lives in Africa, south of the equator. But during the northern hemisphere summer, some birds fly north into warmer areas. You can find a small group of them in Equatorial Guinea and western Gabon.

They visit places like the northern DRC, northern Tanzania, southern Kenya, and southern Uganda for part of the year. These birds live all year round in many countries. This includes Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

What Does the Square-Tailed Nightjar Sound Like?

The square-tailed nightjar makes a special sound. It is a long, continuous "churring" noise. This sound changes its speed. It goes from fast to slow about once every second.

This unique call helps tell it apart from other nightjars. For example, the long-tailed nightjar makes only fast churrs. The slender-tailed nightjar makes only slow churrs. The square-tailed nightjar's changing rhythm makes its call easy to recognize.

Different Types of Square-Tailed Nightjars

There are a few different types, or subspecies, of the square-tailed nightjar. They are slightly different depending on where they live:

• C. f. fossii was first described by Hartlaub in 1857. This type lives in western Gabon and nearby areas.
• C. f. welwitschii was described by Bocage in 1867. These birds are found mostly on inland plateaus, from the DRC to northern Namibia.
• C. f. mossambicus was described by W.K.H. Peters in 1868. This type lives in lowlands and lowveld areas, from the DRC down to South Africa.
• C. f. griseoplurus was described by Clancey in 1965. This type lives in the Kalahari desert and surrounding areas. They visit Botswana during certain seasons.