Mees’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus meesi)

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Image of a Mees's Nightjar in its natural habitat
Birds Nightjar

Introduction

Mees’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus meesi) is a nocturnal member of the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae. It was described as a distinct species in 2004 after research showed that nightjars on Flores and Sumba had distinctive territorial songs. The species is named after the Dutch ornithologist Gerlof Mees. It is a resident of the Lesser Sundas in Indonesia and is most often detected by voice rather than by sight.

Physical Description

Mees’s Nightjar is a medium-sized nightjar with cryptic brown and grey plumage that blends with leaf litter, scrub and shaded ground. Its body is slender, with long pointed wings, a short bill and a broad gape adapted for catching insects. The plumage is exceedingly similar to that of the Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus), and the two species cannot be separated reliably by general appearance alone.

Measurements published from the two known adult male specimens include wing lengths of 165.5 and 178 mm and tail lengths of 126 and 133 mm. These small samples should not be treated as a complete description of the species’ size range.

The species is generally browner and larger-looking than the sympatric Savanna Nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis) and has conspicuous white spots on the outer tail feathers. Reliable information on female plumage, immature birds and age-related variation remains limited.

Range and Habitat

Mees’s Nightjar is a resident Indonesian species of the Lesser Sundas. It was originally documented on Flores and Sumba, and later records extended its known range to Alor and Pantar. Further records from intervening islands are possible, because nocturnal surveys have been limited in parts of the island chain.

The species has been recorded from sea level to about 800 m on Flores and to about 265 m on Sumba in the original species account. It is associated mainly with open or semi-open habitats, including scrubland with scattered small trees, dry savanna, wooded cultivation, plantations and the edges of open forest. It has not generally been found inside dense forest or along the edges of dense forest.

Mees’s Nightjar is not migratory. Its restricted island distribution makes the condition and continuity of suitable scrub, woodland margins and other semi-open habitats important to its long-term survival.

Behaviour and Diet

Mees’s Nightjar is mainly nocturnal and is most active around dusk and dawn. Territorial songs have been recorded from prominent perches, including small trees. In field studies, spontaneous singing and responses to playback occurred during the twilight periods, while birds did not respond in full daylight or in complete darkness before dawn or after dusk.

Its territorial song is a distinctive, relatively high-pitched series that has been described phonetically as something like “piok-piok” or “weelp-weelp”. The song lacks the deep quality of the Large-tailed Nightjar and is an important feature for identification and for confirming the species’ taxonomic distinctness.

Like other nightjars, Mees’s Nightjar feeds on flying insects, which it catches during aerial foraging. The stomach of the holotype contained very small insects and an intact cricket. It may forage along paths, forest margins and other open areas where flying insects are available.

Breeding behaviour is poorly documented. Nightjars generally lay their eggs directly on the ground without constructing a substantial nest, but a species-specific breeding account for Mees’s Nightjar has not been established. Reports of breeding activity on Flores have been inferred partly from older records that were originally assigned to other nightjars.

Identification Tips

  • Listen at dusk and dawn for a distinctive, relatively high-pitched territorial song with repeated notes.
  • Do not rely on plumage alone. Mees’s Nightjar is extremely similar in appearance to the Large-tailed Nightjar.
  • Look for a brown, cryptically patterned nightjar in scrubland, open woodland, wooded cultivation or along open forest margins rather than in dense forest.
  • The species is generally larger and browner than the Savanna Nightjar and has prominent white spots on the outer tail feathers.
  • A recording or clear vocal response is often more useful than a brief visual encounter, especially where Mees’s Nightjar occurs with the Savanna Nightjar.

Conservation Status

Mees’s Nightjar is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List assessment presented by BirdLife International. No reliable global population estimate is available, and the species’ population trend is not well documented.

The species has a geographically restricted distribution, and habitat conversion or degradation could affect local populations, particularly where scrub, open woodland and forest margins are cleared or intensively modified. However, the original species account noted that it could tolerate at least moderate disturbance in some locations and might be more widely distributed than the number of published records suggests.

Important conservation priorities include protecting remaining natural and semi-natural habitats on the Lesser Sundas, surveying poorly studied islands, documenting the species’ population trend and breeding biology, and distinguishing it from similar nightjars during field surveys. Population estimates should be treated cautiously until additional systematic work is available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Mees’s Nightjar live?

It is found in Indonesia’s Lesser Sundas. The species was first documented on Flores and Sumba, with later records from Alor and Pantar.

Is Mees’s Nightjar endemic to Flores?

No. It was originally known from Flores, but it also occurs on Sumba and has been recorded on Alor and Pantar. The original article’s description of the bird as restricted to Flores is therefore outdated.

What does Mees’s Nightjar eat?

It feeds mainly on insects caught in flight. The holotype contained very small insects and an intact cricket.

When is Mees’s Nightjar active?

It is primarily nocturnal, with territorial singing and other activity concentrated around dusk and dawn.

How can Mees’s Nightjar be identified?

Its distinctive territorial song is usually more useful than its appearance. Visually, it is a cryptically patterned brown nightjar with white spots on the outer tail feathers, but it closely resembles the Large-tailed Nightjar.

Is Mees’s Nightjar endangered?

It is currently assessed as Least Concern, although reliable information on its population size and trend is limited. Habitat protection and further surveys remain important because its range is confined to islands in Indonesia.

References

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