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Indian Nightjar

Conservation status

Least Concern

Population Trend

Stable

Alternate Names

Common Indian Nightjar, Indian Little Nightjar

Native Habitat

Woodland

Diet

Insects, Beetles, Moths

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Indian Nightjar

Caprimulgus asiaticus

Cryptically-colored nightbird. Found in a range of wooded habitats. Listen for its distinctive song, an accelerating knocking akin to a ping-pong ball dropping and bouncing rapidly on the floor.

Regional Names
  • Assamese:
    দিনকণা
  • Bengali:
    রাতচরা
  • Gujarati:
    નાનુ દશરથીયું, દેશી છાપો
  • Hindi:
    छिपाक, डाब चिड़ी
  • Kannada:
    ನತ್ತಿಂಗ
  • Malayalam:
    നാട്ടുരാച്ചുക്ക്
  • Marathi:
    सामान्य रातवा, भारतीय रात्रिंचर, कुत्त्या पाखरु (कोकण भाग)
  • Nepali:
    चुक्चुके चैतेचरा
  • Sanskrit:
    छिप्पिका, नप्तृका
  • Tamil:
    சாவுக் குருவி
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Taxanomy

CAPRIMULGIFORMES
CAPRIMULGIDAE
Caprimulgus asiaticus

Quick Facts
  • Their bright reflective eye-shine makes them easy to spot in the beams of vehicle headlights. They may however be stunned by bright lights and many are killed by vehicular traffic.