Birds of the World
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Nechisar Nightjar Caprimulgus solala Scientific name definitions

Jon Fjeldså and Christopher J. Sharpe
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated June 23, 2015

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Field Identification

Probably c. 25 cm; maximum wing chord 18·8 cm, longer than that of other nightjars in the area. General appearance uncertain, as based on just one specimen from which only one wing was collected; other remains of corpse (seen but not collected) resembled female C. vexillarius, being fairly plain, dark reddish-brown, with white tips on at least outer two tail feathers; wing rounded, greater primary upperwing-coverts marked with large buff to cinnamon spots, secondary coverts greyer with dark vermiculations and buff spot, secondaries dark brown with tawny-buff bars on both webs and greyer tip, the tawny-buff bars being progressively weaker towards outer wing, a broad buffish-white band across outer four primaries (only on inner web of outermost) positioned exceptionally far up on wing (about middle of folded wing and inside distinct emargination in outer primaries). No other information.

Systematics History

Known only from a single wing, removed from a decomposing corpse. Validity of taxon questioned, on basis that individual variability of nightjar plumages had not been taken into account (1), but this countered by original describers (2). Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Insufficient information; species is known from a single wing taken from a dead individual on a road in Nechisar Plains, in S Ethiopia.

Habitat

Only known individual was found dead beside a dirt road in completely treeless plains of natural (edaphic) short grassland on black-lava soil at 1200 m on Rift Valley floor. The plains are separated from other short-grass habitat by bushland.

Movement

No information.

Diet and Foraging

No information.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

No information.

Breeding

No information.

VULNERABLE. Restricted-range species: present in South Ethiopian Highlands EBA. Known from a single wing salvaged from a road corpse on the Nechisar Plains in S Ethiopia. Distribution unknown, but this species is considered unlikely to be widespread or common. Not recorded during c. 200 hours of nocturnal surveys in the area, despite field observations of over 100 individuals of four other nightjar species (3). Subsequent searches have proved similarly unproductive, although few birds have been examined in the hand (3). A purported 2009 sighting has not been published (4, 5) BirdLife International (2015) Species factsheet: Caprimulgus solala. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/06/2015. . The dead type specimen was found in a treeless area of gently undulating plains that cover 270 km² (3). These plains lie within Nechisar National Park (IUCN Cat. II; 514 km²), but future of this is threatened by heavy grazing by domestic stock, clearance of trees for fuelwood and building, and fires. A management programme for the park, including plans for resettlement of illegal settlers, is no longer operational. Further survey work needed in order to obtain information on its true status. Correctly identifying the species will be challenging, and will require sound-recordings or photographs.

Distribution of the Nechisar Nightjar - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Nechisar Nightjar

Recommended Citation

Fjeldså, J. and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Nechisar Nightjar (Caprimulgus solala), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.necnig1.01
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