Aegotheles wallacii
Wallace's Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles wallacii) is a cryptic, nocturnal bird endemic to the island of New Guinea and a few nearby satellite islands. Measuring approximately 18-20 cm (7-8 inches) in length and weighing 30-40 grams, it is the smallest of the owlet-nightjars. Its plumage is a masterpiece of camouflage, featuring intricate mottling and barring of reddish-brown, rufous, grey, and black on the upperparts, with paler, barred underparts. Distinctive features include large, dark, forwa...
Found primarily in lowland and lower hill tropical rainforests, but also inhabits secondary growth and disturbed forest edges, typically ranging from sea level up to 1,500 meters.
Feeds almost exclusively on flying insects such as moths, beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers, captured primarily by aerial hawking, with some gleaning from vegetation.
Wallace's Owlet-nightjar is strictly nocturnal, spending its days roosting cryptically in tree hollows, dense epiphytic growth, or amidst tangled vines, often in an upright posture. Foraging occurs after dusk, primarily through aerial hawking; the bird sallies from a low perch to snatch flying in...
Wallace's Owlet-nightjar is endemic to the island of New Guinea and a few nearby satellite islands, displaying a relatively widespread but often patchy distribution. Its primary range covers both the Indonesian provinces of West Papua and Papua, and the independent nation of Papua New Guinea. It ...
Least Concern
- Named in honor of Alfred Russel Wallace, co-discoverer of the theory of evolution by natural selection. - It is the smallest species within the unique owlet-nightjar family. - A master of camouflage, its mottled plumage allows it to blend seamlessly with tree bark, making it incredibly difficul...