The Nechisar nightjar (''Caprimulgus solala'') is a
hypothetical species
Several species have been assumed to exist, but due to a lack of physical evidence they can only be regarded as potential species. Hypothetical species are usually believed to be extinct. They have caused confusion, as they may have been a separat ...
of
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 ...
in the family
Caprimulgidae. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
.
The species was first discovered in 1990 when researchers discovered a decomposing specimen in the
Nechisar National Park.
After bringing back a single wing from the specimen to the
Natural History Museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...
in London, it was determined to be a previously unknown species. Its specific name, ''solala'', means "only a wing".
Its natural
habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
is subtropical. It is probably endemic to
Nechisar National Park.
In 2025, researchers taking DNA samples from the Nechisar specimen and other African nightjars concluded that the individual was likely a hybrid of a female
Standard-winged Nightjar
The standard-winged nightjar (''Caprimulgus longipennis'') is a nocturnal bird in the nightjar family. Previously placed with the pennant-winged nightjar (''Caprimulgus vexillarius'') in their own genus, ''Macrodipteryx'', it is native to Afric ...
and a male
Freckled Nightjar. This hybrid combination would be a first confirmed case of hybridization of Old World nightjars.
References
External links
BirdLife Species Factsheet.
Caprimulgus
Endemic birds of Ethiopia
Birds described in 1995
Species known from a single specimen
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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