Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Caprimulgiformes (Nightjars)

Caprimulgidae (Nightjars)

• Lyncornis Gould, 1838 Icones avium, or figures and descriptions of new and interesting species of birds from various parts of the globe [world] pt2 pl.[14],text Lyncornis cerviniceps Gould, 1838; Type by original designation
  • 387. Great Eared-Nightjar Lyncornis macrotis (Vigors, 1831)
    Original Description: Caprimulgus macrotis Vigors, 1831 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 1 no.8 p.97
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 387a. Lyncornis macrotis cerviniceps Gould, 1838 [HB#668]
      Original Description: Lyncornis cerviniceps Gould, 1838 Icones avium, or figures and descriptions of new and interesting species of birds from various parts of the globe [world] pt2 pl.14, text
      Distribution: NE India from C and E Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura (?). Straggler reported from Odisha.
      Specimens: BNHS, UMMZ, AMNH, YPM
    • 387b. Lyncornis macrotis bourdilloni Hume, 1875 [HB#669]
      Original Description: Lyncornis Bourdilloni Hume, 1875 Stray Feathers 3 p.302 (Kalland, Khauni, Travancore, S India)
      Taxonomy: Genetically, quite close to L. m. cerviniceps and hence may not warrant subspecies status as per (Sangster et al. 2022, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 196 (4): 1464).
      Distribution: SW Ghats, south of Palakkad gap in Kerala and Tamil Nadu – the eastern-most ridge is Perumparai, Palani hills (Tamil Nadu), and northern-most is Peechi and S Nelliampathies (Kerala). Reports further north in Palakkad gap may be stragglers.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1887.8.1.849 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK
      Notes: Reports from Sri Lanka (Soysa et al. 2008, Siyoth 2 (1): 41) indicate its potential for vagrancy though exact subspecies identity could not be established.
  
  
• Caprimulgus Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.193 Caprimulgus virginianus Gmelin, 1789; Type by original designation = Caprimulgus minor Forster, 1771
  • 388. Jungle Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus Latham, 1790
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 388a. Caprimulgus indicus indicus Latham, 1790 [HB#671]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus indicus Latham, 1790 Index ornithologicus, sive systema ornithologiæ; complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates: adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c. 2 p.588 (India)
      Distribution: Throughout the country from about Delhi south through E Rajasthan, E Gujarat, Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh roughly south of Ganga, C Indian hills, E Ghats, Deccan hillocks, and W Ghats. Absent in Himalayan foothills, N Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, W Rajasthan, Kachchh, and NE India.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, FTLB
  
  
  • 389. Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotaka Temminck & Schlegel, 1844
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 389a. Caprimulgus jotaka jotaka Temminck & Schlegel, 1844 [HB#672a]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus jotaka Temminck & Schlegel, 1844 Fauna Japonica sive descriptio animalium, quae in itinere per Japoniam, jussu et auspiciis superiorum, qui summum in India Batava imperium tenent, suscepto, annis 1825-1830 collegit, notis, observationibus et adumbrationibus illustravit. Vol. 4. Aves p.37 pl.13,13
      Taxonomy: Taxonomic status of Nicobar population uncertain.
      Distribution: Vagrant. Andaman Is. and possibly Nicobar Is. (Kamorta Is. & Great Nicobar Is.).
      Specimens: BNHS
    • 389b. Caprimulgus jotaka hazarae Whistler, 1935 [HB#670]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus indicus hazarae Whistler, 1935 Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 38 p.37
      Taxonomy: Darker population from Mizo hills described as memnon Koelz 1954 synonymised with this subspecies.
      Distribution: W Himalayan foothills from Uttarakhand through Sikkim, W Bengal, Odisha, and entire NE India.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, USNM, YPM
  
  
  • 390. European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758
    Original Description: Caprimulgus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.193
    Alternative Names: Eurasian Nightjar
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • [Caprimulgus europaeus sarudnyi Hartert, 1912 ]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus europaeus sarudnyi Hartert, 1912 Die Vögel der paläarktischen Fauna. Systematische Übersicht der in Europa, Nord-Asien und der Mittelmeerregion vorkommenden Vögel 2 p.849
      Distribution: Extreme NW India (Gilgit, W Rajasthan, W Kachchh) during passage migration.
      Specimens: BNHS
      Notes: Listed (BNHS #11673) for Kachchh (Abdulali 1972, JBNHS 69 (1): 125) but not by RA2012.
    • 390a. Caprimulgus europaeus unwini Hume, 1871 [HB#673]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus unwini Hume, 1871 Ibis p.406
      Distribution: Passage: Mostly NW India, including Gilgit, W Rajasthan, and W Gujarat but stragglers have occurred in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh, historical), Mumbai (Maharashtra, historical), and Lakshadweep Is. (presumably this subspecies).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, USNM, FTLB
  
  
  • 391. Sykes's Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis Sykes, 1832 [HB#674]
    Original Description: Caprimulgus Mahrattensis Sykes, 1832 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 no.18 p.83 (Mahrattas)
    Distribution: W India in Rajasthan, Gujarat and adjoining Maharashtra, straggling to W Bengal, C India, around Delhi, and Jammu.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1880.1.1.1383 (Syntype).
    Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
  • 392. Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus Horsfield, 1821
    Original Description: Caprimulgus macrurus Horsfield, 1821 Transactions of the Linnean Society of London (1), 13 p.142
    Alternative Names: Long-tailed Nightjar (with C. atripennis & C. andamanicus)
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 392a. Caprimulgus macrurus albonotatus Tickell, 1833 [HB#675]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus Albonotatus Tickell, 1833 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 2 p.580 (Dampara, Dholbhum, Bengal)
      Taxonomy: Includes noctuvigilus Koelz 1954 of Kangra (Himachal). Transition area of the western and eastern subspecies in NE India is uncertain.
      Distribution: N and C India from Punjab and Himachal, east till C Assam, adjoining W and C Arunachal, and Meghalaya, extending south through S W Bengal, and NE Ghats of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, NE Andhra and Deccan hillocks in Telangana (e.g., Ananthagiri). Straggling to Gangetic plains and C India (e.g., Panna).
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, RBINS, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM
    • 392b. Caprimulgus macrurus bimaculatus Peale, 1849 [HB#678]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus bimaculatus Peale, 1849 Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 under the command of Charles Wilkes, U. S. N. Vol. VIII: Mammalia and ornithology. 1st ed. 8 p.170
      Taxonomy: Includes silvanus Koelz 1954 of Naga hills and ambiguus Hartert 1896.
      Distribution: Extreme NE India including Nagaland, Cachar, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.
      Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, YPM
  
  
  • 393. Andaman Nightjar Caprimulgus andamanicus Hume, 1873 [HB#679]
    Original Description: Caprimulgus andamanicus Hume, 1873 Stray Feathers 1 p.470 (Jolly Bouy Is., Andaman Is)
    Distribution: N, Middle, S and Little Andaman as well as the islets of Sound, Interview, Havelock, Alexandra, Jolly Buoy, Sound, and S Brother Is.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1887.8.1.651 (Holotype).
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, MCZ
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Endemic: Andaman & Nicobar Is.
    Notes: Narcondam Is. report have not been evaluated here.
  
  
  • 394. Jerdon's Nightjar Caprimulgus atripennis Jerdon, 1845
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 394a. Caprimulgus atripennis atripennis Jerdon, 1845 [HB#676]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus atripennis Jerdon, 1845 Illustrations of Indian ornithology, containing fifty figures of new, unfigured and interesting species of birds, chiefly from the south of India pl.24 (Eastern Ghats to west of Nellore)
      Distribution: S Peninsula from about N Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and extreme S W Bengal till the tip of the peninsula.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, FMNH, USNM, YPM
  
  
  • 395. Indian Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus Latham, 1790
    Taxonomy: Treated as monotypic by H&M4 including eidos Peters 1940 of Sri Lanka.
    Alternative Names: Common Indian Nightjar, Indian Little Nightjar
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 395a. Caprimulgus asiaticus asiaticus Latham, 1790 [HB#680]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus asiaticus Latham, 1790 Index ornithologicus, sive systema ornithologiæ; complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates: adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c. 2 p.588 (Mumbai)
      Taxonomy: Paler northwest population gurgaoni Koelz 1939 and darker S Indian population, approaching eidos Peters 1940 of Sri Lanka, included here.
      Distribution: Throughout the country south of Jammu, through W and C India till the tip of the peninsula; absent in W Rajasthan and most of Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand; east till about W Bengal and sporadic further east; has occurred in Upper Dibang valley (Arunachal), N Cachar (Assam), and Tripura.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM, YPM, TNHM, HYD, FTLB
  
  
  • 396. Savanna Nightjar Caprimulgus affinis Horsfield, 1821
    Original Description: Caprimulgus affinis Horsfield, 1821 Transactions of the Linnean Society of London (1), 13 p.142
    Alternative Names: Franklin's Nightjar, Allied Nightjar
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 396a. Caprimulgus affinis monticolus Franklin, 1831 [HB#682]
      Original Description: Caprimulgus monticolus Franklin, 1831 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 1 no.10 p.116 (Ganga between Kolkata and Varanasi)
      Taxonomy: Sometimes the northern monticolus group designated as an independent species. See Sangster et al. (2021, Avian Research 12 (5): 1). ZSI#35613 collected from 'Vicinity of Calcutta' by Jerdon in 1847 listed as a syntype. It is unclear if some of the details are in error and whether this is actually one of the specimens examined by Franklin in 1831.
      Distribution: Throughout the country from Jammu, through W and C India till the tip of the peninsula; east through the Himalayan foothills, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM, TNHM, HYD, FTLB
      Notes: Migrant or breeding visitor in some parts but movements unclear.