Introduction
The Timor Nightjar (Caprimulgus ritae) is a recently described nocturnal bird in the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae. It is known from Timor, including both Timor-Leste and Indonesian West Timor, and from the Indonesian island of Wetar in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The species was formerly confused with other members of the Caprimulgus macrurus complex before genetic, morphological and vocal evidence established it as a distinct species in 2024.
Physical Description
The Timor Nightjar is a relatively small member of the Caprimulgus macrurus complex. Like other nightjars, it has a broad, flattened head, large eyes, a short bill surrounded by bristles, long pointed wings and a long tail. Its plumage is cryptic, with mottled brown, grey, black and rusty tones that provide camouflage against forest floors, leaf litter and low branches.
Diagnostic features include coarsely marked feathers on the sides of the crown, dark chestnut-brown to rusty-brown ear-coverts and the absence of the obvious buff or rufous collar found in many C. macrurus. The throat and breast are comparatively dark and heavily patterned. White markings are present on the throat and at the tips of some outer tail feathers, but are more restricted than in the sympatric Savanna Nightjar (C. affinis).
The species is known from only a small number of adult museum specimens, so detailed information about age-related plumage, moult and sexual variation remains limited. Available specimens indicate that males and females are similar in overall appearance, although some tail and wing markings differ between the sexes.
Range and Habitat
The Timor Nightjar is currently known from the island of Timor, shared by Timor-Leste and Indonesia, and from Wetar, an Indonesian island to the north-east of Timor. It is regarded as a resident species, with no confirmed long-distance migration reported.
It is a forest specialist recorded in a wide range of tropical forest types, from tall evergreen forest to highly deciduous dry forest. It has also been recorded in forest edges, secondary woodland and mosaics involving Eucalyptus woodland and tropical forest. Most records are from low elevations below 1,000 metres, although one record comes from approximately 1,500 metres.
The species’ distribution is restricted to the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands. Its dependence on forest makes it particularly sensitive to habitat clearance, degradation and fragmentation across Timor and Wetar.
Behaviour and Diet
The Timor Nightjar is nocturnal and is most often detected by its voice around dusk and before dawn. Field observations have generally occurred during the period after sunset or before sunrise, and no daytime observations were reported in the principal species description. During daylight, it is expected to remain concealed on the ground or on low perches, where its mottled plumage makes it difficult to detect.
Its territorial song is a distinctive, relatively rapid series of hollow notes that may be rendered as “choh-choh-choh-choh-choh”. The song is less deep than that of the Large-tailed Nightjar (C. macrurus) and differs substantially from the high-pitched, rasping call of the Savanna Nightjar. Vocal differences were central to recognising the Timor Nightjar as a separate species.
As with other nightjars, it is presumed to feed mainly on flying insects captured during short, buoyant flights. However, detailed species-specific information about its diet, foraging rates and prey remains limited. Breeding behaviour, nest placement and reproductive success also require further study.
Identification Tips
When searching for the Timor Nightjar, listen before relying on visual features. Useful identification cues include:
- A nocturnal forest habitat, usually at low elevation or along forest edges.
- A distinctive, relatively fast series of hollow notes, unlike the deeper song of the Large-tailed Nightjar.
- Darker, less grey plumage than the Savanna Nightjar.
- A longer-looking tail than the Savanna Nightjar.
- White on the outer tail feathers restricted mainly to the tips. In the male Savanna Nightjar, the outer tail feather is much more extensively white, while females may lack white in the tail.
- Coarsely marked crown feathers, dark chestnut-brown ear-coverts and no prominent buff or rufous collar.
The species can be difficult to identify visually because it belongs to a group of closely related nightjars with broadly similar plumage. Sound recordings, habitat and geographic location are especially important when separating it from other members of the C. macrurus complex.
Conservation Status
The Timor Nightjar has not yet received a separate global assessment on the IUCN Red List. The former classification of Near Threatened should therefore not be presented as a current verified status for this newly described species.
Its conservation outlook is nevertheless a concern. Lowland and montane forests on Timor are threatened by development, land conversion and other forms of habitat degradation. Wetar retains a very high proportion of natural vegetation, but development pressure is increasing across the species’ range. Because the Timor Nightjar is closely associated with tropical forest, maintaining remaining forest, limiting fragmentation and improving knowledge of its distribution and population are important conservation priorities.
Further nocturnal surveys, automated acoustic monitoring and targeted work on breeding biology and habitat use would help establish a reliable population assessment. Protection of forest sites on both Timor and Wetar should be supported by sustainable land-use planning and local conservation partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Timor Nightjar live?
The species is known from Timor, including Timor-Leste and Indonesian West Timor, and from the Indonesian island of Wetar. It uses tropical forests, forest edges and some secondary forest habitats.
Is the Timor Nightjar a newly discovered bird?
It was formally described as a distinct species in 2024. The bird had been known from field observations and museum specimens but was previously confused with related nightjars in the Caprimulgus macrurus complex.
What does the Timor Nightjar sound like?
Its territorial song is a relatively rapid series of hollow notes, sometimes rendered as “choh-choh-choh-choh-choh”. Its call differs from both the deeper song of the Large-tailed Nightjar and the rasping call of the Savanna Nightjar.
What does the Timor Nightjar eat?
Its diet has not been studied in detail. It is expected to feed mainly on flying insects, as other nightjars do, probably capturing prey during nocturnal flight.
Is the Timor Nightjar endangered?
The species does not yet have a separate IUCN Red List category. It may face conservation pressure because much of its range is dependent on tropical forest threatened by development, land conversion and habitat fragmentation.
How can the Timor Nightjar be identified?
Listening for its distinctive song is often more useful than trying to see it. If observed, note its dark mottled plumage, coarse crown markings, dark ear-coverts, relatively long tail and white markings confined mainly to the tips of the outer tail feathers.
References
- King, B. F., Sangster, G., Trainor, C. R., Irestedt, M., Prawiradilaga, D. M. & Ericson, P. G. P. 2024. A new species of nightjar (Caprimulgus) from Timor and Wetar, Lesser Sunda Islands, Wallacea. Ibis 166: 1241–1263. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.13340
- Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (eds). 2026. IOC World Bird List, version 15.2. International Ornithologists’ Union. Accessed 8 September 2026. IOC World Bird List
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2024. Timor Nightjar Caprimulgus ritae recognised as a new species. Clements Checklist Updates and Corrections, October 2024. Accessed 8 September 2026. Clements Checklist update
- Kirwan, G. M. 2024. Timor Nightjar (Caprimulgus ritae), version 1.0. In G. M. Kirwan & B. K. Keeney (eds), Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.timnig1.01
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center. 2024. A new species of nightjar (Caprimulgus) from Timor and Wetar, Lesser Sunda Islands, Wallacea. Naturalis Institutional Repository. Accessed 8 September 2026. Naturalis publication record
- Trainor, C. R. 2024. The Timor Nightjar. British Ornithologists’ Union. Accessed 8 September 2026. British Ornithologists’ Union account
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