Savanna nightjar explained

The savanna nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis), also known as allied nightjar or Franklin's nightjar, is a species of nightjar found in South and Southeast Asia. Six subspecies are recognised: C. a. monticolus, C. a. amoyensis, C. a. stictomus, C. a. affinis, C. a. timorensis and C. a. propinquus. It was once considered conspecific with the chirruping nightjar.[1] The IUCN Red List has assessed the species to be of least concern because it has a large range and its population trend is stable.

Habitat

Its habitat is open forest and areas with scrub.[2] However, it has recently moved gradually into the metropolitan areas of Taiwan, probably due to the absence of natural predators in that setting. Habitat loss is likely also a significant factor. Impacts of this relocation have included disturbed sleep for residents—due to male savanna nightjars' loud vocalizations at night from January to July—and collisions with aircraft. It is predicted to continue this habitat shift and expand its range into all major western Taiwanese cities.[3]

Description

Its length is about 25cm (10inches), with a wingspan of 64 cm and a body weight of 54–110g. The upperparts are brownish-grey and vermiculated, with pale brown speckles. The underparts are brown, with bars.[4] The savanna nightjar is nocturnal and is recognizable by its characteristic loud chirping calls, mainly given in flight during the evening. Their acoustic features change and can preadapt based upon their habitat.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Gill . F . D . Donsker . P . Rasmussen . 2023 . IOC World Bird List (v 13.2) . 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.2 . 31 January 2024 .
  2. Book: Grimmett. Richard. Inskipp. Carol. Inskipp. Tim. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. 2013. Bloomsbury Publishing. 9781408162644. 228.
  3. Cheng . Bai-You . Shyu . Guey-Shin . Wu . Shi-Ching . Lin . Hsiao-Hsien . Hsu . Chia-Hsuan . LePage . Ben . Fang . Wei-Ta . 2019-03-25 . Fragmented Riverine Habitats in Taiwan Have Spatio-Temporal Consequences, Re-Distributing Caprimulgus affinis into Urban Areas Leading to a Human–Wildlife Conflict . Sustainability . 11 . 6 . 1778 . 10.3390/su11061778 . 2071-1050. free .
  4. Book: Myers. Susan. Wildlife of Southeast Asia. 2016. Princeton University Press. 9781400880720. 78.
  5. Liang . Shih-Hsiung . Walther . Bruno Andreas . Jen . Chia-Hung . Chen . Chao-Chieh . Chen . Yi-Chih . Shieh . Bao-Sen . 2020-10-23 . Acoustic preadaptation to transmit vocal individuality of savanna nightjars in noisy urban environments . Scientific Reports . 10 . 1 . 18159 . 10.1038/s41598-020-75371-4 . 33097822 . 2045-2322. 7584573 .