White-throated Nightjar Eurostopodus mystacalis Scientific name definitions

30–37 cm (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); male 98–145 g, female 140–180 g. Sexes similar. Upperparts  greyish brown broadly streaked blackish brown; buff or tawny-buff nuchal collar; wing-coverts greyish brown, speckled greyish white and spotted buff; scapulars greyish white or greyish brown, broadly bordered blackish brown on outer webs; large white patch on either side of throat  ; underparts brown spotted rufous and greyish white, becoming greyish white barred brown on upper belly, rest of underparts buff or tawny-buff barred brown. Both sexes have wings regularly spotted and barred buff, white distal spot on four outermost primaries and no white on tail. Iris mid- to dark brown (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), bill dusky grey to blackish (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), legs and feet dark brown. Juvenile paler, more vinaceous, than adult. Some overlap with E. argus, which is smaller, paler and has more white in primaries, and more with Caprimulgus macrurus, which has white corners to tail and is also smaller; songs of all three are very different (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). 

Formerly listed as E. albogularis, but name mystacalis has priority (2 Schodde, R. and Mason, I.J. (1997). Aves (Columbidae to Coraciidae). In: Houston, W.W.K. & Wells, A. eds. (1997). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 37(2). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. Close ). Name guttatus is likewise a junior synonym of present species (3 Schodde, R., and I. J. Mason (1980). Nocturnal Birds of Australia. Landsdowne, Melbourne, Australia. Close ). Formerly considered conspecific with E. nigripennis and E. exul, but recently split on grounds of vocal and morphological differences (4 Cleere, N. (2010). Nightjars, Potoos, Frogmouths, Oilbird and Owlet-nightjars of the World. WildGuides, Old Basing, UK. Close ), and this treatment followed here. It differs from E. nigripennis in its song, a  “rapid series of bubbling ‘wows’’ vs a “rising series of ‘knocking’ notes… similar to an axe hitting wood” (4 Cleere, N. (2010). Nightjars, Potoos, Frogmouths, Oilbird and Owlet-nightjars of the World. WildGuides, Old Basing, UK. Close ) (3); considerably larger size (effect size for wing difference –3.5) (2); wing with a single white spot on P4 vs a short but distinct white bar (2); supposedly less distinct rufous collar and less distinctly barred undertail not apparent on all specimens. It differs from E. exul in its longer wing (at least 2), much darker upperparts (3), less well-marked dark crown (at least 1), and presence of a rufous hindcollar (1).Monotypic.

E Australia from Cape York Peninsula S through E Queensland and E New South Wales to E & CS Victoria; winters N to SC & E New Guinea.

In Australia, typically forest  , especially eucalypt and dry sclerophyll forest, woodland, and dry, lightly forested ridges with sparse understorey; occasionally in heathland, sandy areas with thickets, or mallee scrubland. In N of range, also edges of rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest, open grassy country and borders of mangroves. In New Guinea, wintering birds frequent forest edge, savanna, scrubland, open grassland, gardens, secondary growth and marshland. On Solomon Is, usually on or near beaches and also on offshore islets. Sole record in New Caledonia was from Melaleuca woodland near coast (5 Ekstrom, J. M. M., J. P. G. Jones, J. Willis, J. Tobias, G. C. L. Dutson, and N. Barré (2002). New information on the distribution, status and conservation of terrestrial bird species in Grande Terre, New Caledonia. Emu 102(2):197–207. Close ). Recorded from sea-level to possibly 1650 m.

Nominate race sedentary and partly migratory in N of range (Queensland), migratory in S. On migration, often in loose flocks of up to 20–30 birds (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). In E Victoria, present Nov–Mar. S populations winter in N Australia and New Guinea. In NE Queensland, resident N of Townsville, but farther N on Atherton Tableland large numbers occasionally arrive, stay a few months and then depart. In SE New Guinea, winters (late Mar to Sept) W to Fly R and N to Astrolabe Bay. Possible vagrant reported as far N as Idenburg R in N Irian Jaya. Occurs as passage migrant through Torres Strait but recorded only Sept and possibly Oct.

Feeds on moths, beetles, flying ants, bugs, Orthoptera and mantids. Forages in flight, usually hunting over forests, woodlands or trees, up to c. 50 m above ground. Also forages among trees and along forest edges, gulleys and streams, or makes flycatching sallies from perches or ground. Home range may be up to 100 ha or more. Often feeds on insects attracted to artificial lights.

Song  of male (mainly given during breeding season, and mostly around dusk and dawn) (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) is a rapid, ascending bubbling, likened to burst of human laughter, “Wow-wow-wow-woo-ho-ho-ho-o-o-o” and comprising 9–12 notes over 4–6 seconds, the first 3–4 notes over c. 1 second (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), given from perches or in noisy flight display, and repeated 10–12 times (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); female occasionally gives similar call. 

Breeds Sept–Feb (mainly Oct–Dec) in Australia, perhaps later in S of range. May not breed if preceding winter extremely dry; in N Australia, some pairs may rear 2–3 young in a season when conditions ideal. Territorial, breeding territories usually 1 ha or less; nest-site usually in clearing, beneath tree, near burnt log or among rocks and stones, favourite sites on side or top of stony ridge; often breeds in same area for several years, sites within few metres of each other; no nest, egg laid on bare ground or leaf litter, with slight scrape 6 cm in diameter (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Clutch one egg, elliptical, yellowish, buff or dark cream, spotted  and blotched brown and black with underlying lavender marks, size 35·4–42 mm × 26·2–30 mm (1 Holyoak, D. T. (2001). Nightjars and Their Allies: The Caprimulgiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); incubation usually by female during day, period generally 22–28 days; adults threatened at nest-site perform distraction display; chick  semi-precocial, covered in chestnut or reddish-brown down; one chick made flight after 31 days. Records of female moving egg c. 0·5 m during incubation period and tiny young also shifting position (6 Jackson, H. D. (2007). A review of the evidence for the translocation of eggs and young by nightjars (Caprimulgidae). Ostrich 78(3):561–572. Close ).

Not globally threatened. Widespread and locally fairly common in E Australia; possibly rare to scarce winter visitor to New Guinea, though perhaps under-recorded. On Australian breeding grounds, few data on changes in population levels, though now rare at Logan Reserve, SE Queensland, and at several sites on plains N & NW of Melbourne. New South Wales study found species to be substantially more numerous in unlogged forest (7 Kavanagh, R. P., and K. L. Bamkin (1995). Distribution of nocturnal forest birds and mammals in relation to the logging mosaic in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Biological Conservation 71(1):41–53. Close ). Occasionally killed by road traffic at night; potential predators include snakes, foxes, dogs and feral cats, and some of these may also be factors in New Caledonia, where fire ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) have spread raidly since being introduced in early 1970s and could also be responsible for perceived decline (5 Ekstrom, J. M. M., J. P. G. Jones, J. Willis, J. Tobias, G. C. L. Dutson, and N. Barré (2002). New information on the distribution, status and conservation of terrestrial bird species in Grande Terre, New Caledonia. Emu 102(2):197–207. Close ). In SC New Guinea, regularly recorded at Wasur National Park.