Caprimulgus ritae
The Timor Nightjar (Caprimulgus ritae), a captivating and recently described avian gem, is an endemic resident of the islands of Timor and Wetar in the Lesser Sundas. Measuring 25–27 cm in total length with a wing length of 162–181 mm, this medium-sized nightjar boasts a remarkably cryptic grey-brown plumage, finely vermiculated with darker markings, allowing it to blend seamlessly with its roosting environment. A key diagnostic field mark, especially in flight, is the prominent white subterm...
Found in open woodlands, degraded forests, plantations, and forest edges, from lowlands up to at least 1500 meters above sea level.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of nocturnal insects such as moths, beetles, and grasshoppers, captured in flight.
A strictly nocturnal species, the Timor Nightjar is active from dusk to dawn, typically roosting motionlessly and cryptically on the ground or low branches during daylight hours. Foraging primarily involves aerial hawking of insects, either sallying from a low perch or engaging in continuous, agi...
The Timor Nightjar is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands, specifically confined to the island of Timor, which is politically divided between Timor-Leste (East Timor) and the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara (West Timor). Its distribution also extends to the smaller island of Wetar, loca...
Least Concern
- The Timor Nightjar was only formally described as a new species in 2022, making it one of the newest avian discoveries for the region. - It is named 'Rita's Nightjar' (Caprimulgus ritae) after Rita P. J. Trainor, the mother of one of the ornithologists involved in its description. - Its excepti...