The Caprimulginae or typical nightjars are a
nocturnal
Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatur ...
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
subfamily within the
nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called bugeaters, their primary source of food ...
family, Caprimulgidae. They are medium-size with long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They usually nest on the ground. They feed on flying insects.
They have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. Some species perch facing along a branch, rather than across it as birds usually do. This helps to conceal them during the day. The female lays two patterned eggs directly onto bare ground.
They are mostly active in the late evening and early morning or at night and feed on moths and other large flying insects. The bill opens very wide and has a slightly hooked upper tip.
They are similar in most respects to the nighthawks, but generally have slightly longer bills and plumage that is softer.
Subfamily Caprimulginae — (typical nightjars)
*Genus ''
Eurostopodus
''Eurostopodus'' is a genus of eared nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. This genus is distinctive among the Old World nightjars in lacking long rictal bristles. It also shows some features that are not shared with Caprimulginae and Chordeilina ...
'' – (7 species)
*Genus ''
Lyncornis'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Chordeiles'' – (1 species)
*Genus ''
Lurocalis'' – (6 species)
*Genus ''
Nyctiprogne'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Nyctipolus'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Nyctidromus'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Phalaenoptilus'' – common poorwill
*Genus ''
Siphonorhis'' – (2 living species)
*Genus ''
Nyctiphrynus'' – (4 species)
*Genus ''
Caprimulgus'' – (37 species, including the
European nightjar
The European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''), common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northweste ...
)
*Genus ''
Setopagis'' – (4 species)
*Genus ''
Gactornis'' – collared nightjar
*Genus ''
Antrostomus
''Antrostomus'' is a genus of nightjars formerly included in the genus ''Caprimulgus''. They are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long pointed wings, short legs and short bills.
''Antrostomus'' nightjars are found in the New World, and like ot ...
'' – (12 species)
*Genus ''
Hydropsalis'' – (4 species)
*Genus ''
Uropsalis'' (2 species)
*Genus ''
Macropsalis'' – long-trained nightjar
*Genus ''
Eleothreptus'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Systellura'' – (2 species)
*Genus ''
Veles'' – brown nightjar
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1401386