Todd's Nightjar
Setopagis heterura
Guardacaminos de Todd
Song
Todd's Nightjar
The Todd's Nightjar (Setopagis heterura) Read in Spanish
Appearance: Todd's Nightjar is a medium-sized nightjar with a mottled brown and grayish plumage that provides excellent camouflage against its forest floor habitat. It has a distinctive white throat patch and a white crescent shape on its face with large eyes adapted for nocturnal hunting. The bird's long, pointed wings and short legs are suited for agile flight and ground foraging for insects.
Habitat: Todd's Nightjar inhabits montane forests, cloud forests, and Andean scrub habitats at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 3,500 meters above sea level. This species prefers areas with dense vegetation, open clearings, and rocky outcrops where it can roost and forage for insects.
Behavior: Todd's Nightjar is primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, being most active during dusk and dawn when it hunts for insects such as beetles, moths, and flying ants. It relies on its cryptic coloration and motionless behavior to blend in with its surroundings and avoid detection by predators. The bird's flight is silent and swift, aided by its specialized wings and tail feathers.
Breeding: During the breeding season, Todd's Nightjar performs courtship displays that involve aerial acrobatics, vocalizations, and ground-based interactions between males and females. The female typically lays one or two eggs on the forest floor, relying on camouflage to protect the nest from predators. Both parents share incubation duties and care for the young until they fledge.
Conservation Status: Todd's Nightjar is classified as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List, highlighting the need for conservation measures to protect its remaining populations in Colombia and other parts of its range.
Distribution
The Todd's Nightjar (Setopagis heterura)
Eastern Andes: The bird can be found in parts of the Eastern Andes of Colombia, including areas in departments such as Boyacá, Cundinamarca, and Tolima. These regions offer suitable montane forest habitats for Todd's Nightjar to thrive.
Northern Andes: In the Northern Andes region of Colombia, consisting of areas in departments such as Norte de Santander and Santander, Todd's Nightjar may also be encountered in suitable montane forest habitats that offer ample food resources and roosting sites.
Taxonomy
The Todd's Nightjar (Setopagis heterura)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Caprimulgiformes
- Family: Caprimulgidae
- Genus: Setopagis
- Species: Setopagis heterura
Vocalization
The Todd's Nightjar (Setopagis heterura)
- Churring Call: One of the most recognizable vocalizations of Todd's Nightjar is its churring call. It is a rhythmic, repetitive sound resembling a mechanical whirring or a purring sound. This call is often heard during the breeding season and serves to attract mates and establish territories.
- Whistled Notes: Todd's Nightjar also produces whistled notes, which are clear, high-pitched sounds that can vary in pitch and frequency. These notes are used in communication between individuals and may have different meanings depending on the context.
- Clucking Sounds: During courtship displays and territorial interactions, Todd's Nightjar may emit soft clucking sounds or ticking noises. These sounds are part of the bird's behavioral repertoire for signaling intentions and maintaining social bonds.
- Wing Clapping: In addition to vocalizations, Todd's Nightjar is known to produce wing clapping or clapping sounds with its wings during flight displays. This behavior, combined with vocal calls, is used in courtship rituals and to establish dominance in breeding territories.
- Contact Calls: Todd's Nightjar may use contact calls, such as soft peeps or chirps, to communicate with nearby individuals or family members. These calls help maintain social cohesion and coordinate activities within the group.
