Mees's Nightjar Caprimulgus meesi Scientific name definitions

25–29 cm. Adult male has top of head and upperparts mostly pale grey with fine blackish-brown vermiculations, palest and tinged with rufous-buff on sides of crown, central crown with blotchy longitudinal line of dark sepia, mantle feathers with dark sepia central mark, scapulars with contrasting dark sepia mark, the outer margin of some feathers with pinkish-buff tinge; median and greater upperwing-coverts  patterned with cinnamon-brown and sepia spots and bars, and tipped with buff to cinnamon spot, larger on outer web, and restricted there in the greater coverts, lesser coverts similar but with less obvious rufous-buff spot on tips, tertials are palest area of upperparts, being pale grey marbled greyish-brown, secondaries dark brown with irregular bands of cinnamon-buff spots, primaries  dark brown with some irregular cinnamon bars, the outer five primaries with a white patch ; tail drab with dark brown bars and vermiculations, outer two pair of rectrices similar but more pinkish or cinnamon on pale areas and with broadly white distal portion; face framed by dark line running from side of forehead through just above the eye and around rear ear-coverts, lores also dark but with rufous-buff spots, ear-coverts cinnamon-buff or hazel with fine sepia markings, long dark bristles around gape, white submoustachial stripe with some pale buff tinge at rear; throat cinnamon-buff with sepia markings, a large white patch on lower throat contrasting with a row of rounded blackish spots beneath it, narrow cinnamon-buff collar may be incomplete, ground colour of rest of underparts pale grey becoming pinkish-buff downwards, the feathers vermiculated or barred with dark brown; iris dark brown; eyelids pale brown; bill blackish with pink gape. Morphologically exceedingly similar to C. macrurus of race schegelii, and the two existing specimens are not diagnosably distinct compared with the phenotypically rather variable populations in this region. Differs from sympatric C. affinis in larger size, more brown plumage, and more bold pattern, with large white spots on outer tail feathers.

Previously included within Wallacean and Australasian group (race schlegelii) of the “C. macrurus complex”; however, analysis of sound recordings revealed significant vocal differences from all other populations in this complex, leading to its formal description; appears to be morphologically identical to C. macrurus. Further study of this complex required, especially of all taxa in Lesser Sundas. Monotypic.

Flores and Sumba, in WC Lesser Sundas; recorded also in Alor and Pantar (1 Trainor, C. R., P. Verbelen, and R. E. Johnstone (2012). The avifauna of Alor and Pantar, Lesser Sundas, Indonesia. Forktail 28:77–92. Close ) and presumably occurs on the intervening islands.

Stomach contents of one individual comprised tiny insects and a “cricket” (Orthoptera).

Song, given from prominent perch (as normal territorial songs), is loud and repetitive, a high-pitched note followed by 2–9 lower-pitched waves or downslurred notes; differs from that of C. macrurus in its explosive quality, very large frequency range in first note, and shorter subsequent tremolo.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Sumba EBA and Northern Nusa Tenggara EBA. Probably not rare; reported as being common in some places. On Flores , has been recorded in one protected area, Wolo Tadu Nature Reserve.