Biota

Exploring Nature

Section 5 — Nocturnal & Aerial Insectivores

This section brings together the major groups of birds adapted to hunting insects in low light or on the wing. Many are crepuscular or nocturnal specialists, using stealth, camouflage, or wide‑gaping mouths to catch prey in the dark. Others are superb aerial foragers, spending much of their lives in flight and feeding exclusively on insects taken in the air.

Despite their very different appearances — from nightjars and potoos to swifts and hummingbirds — these Orders share a common ecological thread: mastery of insect hunting in challenging light or high‑speed aerial environments.

Orders Included

  • Order: Caprimulgiformes (Nightjars)
  • Order: Steatornithiformes (Oilbird)
  • Order: Nyctibiiformes (Potoos)
  • Order: Podargiformes (Frogmouths)
  • Order: Aegotheliformes (Owlet‑nightjars)
  • Order: Apodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)

Species I’ve Seen in This Section

Listed below by Order, Family, and species, with notes on where and when each was recorded.

Order: Caprimulgiformes

Nightjars and Allies
Nocturnal, insect‑eating birds with soft plumage, wide mouths, and silent, buoyant flight. Nightjars roost on the ground by day, relying on superb camouflage, and emerge at dusk to hunt moths and beetles over open heath, woodland edges, and clearings.

Rufous Nightjar (Antrostomus rufus)
— Amazon 2024

Rufous Nightjar - Antrostomus-rufus

Families recorded: expand each to view species.

Family: Caprimulgidae (Nightjars) – 11
  1. Rufous Nightjar (Antrostomus rufus) — Amazon 2024
  2. European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) — Various (UK Species)
  3. Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) — Costa Rica 2015; Texas 2024
  4. Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) — Yellowstone 2017; Texas 2024
  5. Nacunda Nighthawk (Chordeiles nacunda) — Amazon 2024
  6. Sand-colored Nighthawk (Chordeiles rupestris) — Amazon 2024
  7. White-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis cayennensis) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  8. Ladder-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca) — Amazon 2024
  9. Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019; Texas 2024
  10. Blackish Nightjar (Nyctipolus nigrescens) — Amazon 2024
  11. Band-tailed Nighthawk (Nyctiprogne leucopyga) — Amazon 2024
Oilbird - Steatornis caripensis - Trinidad & Tobago 2019

Order: Steatornithiformes

Oilbird
A single species from northern South America, the Oilbird is a nocturnal, fruit‑eating cave dweller that navigates with clicks and echolocation. It roosts in large colonies deep in caves and forages at night in forested valleys.

Oilbird* (Steatornis caripensis)
— Trinidad & Tobago 2019

Families recorded: expand each to view species.

Family: Steatornithidae (Oilbird) – 1
  1. Oilbird (Steatornis caripensis) — Trinidad 2019

Order: Nyctibiiformes

Potoos
Nocturnal, insect‑eating birds of the American tropics, famous for their huge eyes and superb camouflage. Potoos perch motionless on stumps or branches by day, blending perfectly into bark.

Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus)
— Tobago 2019

Families recorded: expand each to view species.

Family: Nyctibiidae (Potoos) – 2
  1. Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis) — Costa Rica 2015; Amazon 2024
  2. Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019

Order: Apodiformes

Swifts and Hummingbirds
Aerial specialists ranging from fast‑flying swifts to tiny, hovering hummingbirds. Swifts spend most of their lives on the wing, while hummingbirds use rapid wingbeats to hover and feed on nectar with long, slender bills.

Ruby-topaz Hummingbird (Chrysolampis mosquitus)
— Tobago 2019

Families recorded: expand each to view species.

Family: Apodidae (Swifts) – 16
  1. Himalayan Swiftlet (Aerodramus brevirostris) — Bhutan & India 2020
  2. Little Swift (Apus affinis) — Bhutan & India 2020
  3. Common Swift (Apus apus) — Spain 2016; Various – common UK bird; Norway & Finland 2018; Slovenia 2024
  4. House Swift (Apus nipalensis) — Bhutan & India 2020
  5. Fork-tailed Swift (Apus pacificus) — Bhutan & India 2020
  6. Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus) — Spain 2016
  7. Short-tailed Swift (Chaetura brachyura) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019; Amazon 2024
  8. Grey-rumped Swift (Chaetura cinereicauda) — Costa Rica 2015
  9. Grey-rumped Swift (Chaetura cinereiventris) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019; Amazon 2024
  10. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) — Texas 2024
  11. Band-rumped Swift (Chaetura spinicaudus) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019; Amazon 2024
  12. Spot-fronted Swift (Costa Rican Swift) (Cypseloides cherriei) — Costa Rica 2015
  13. Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis) — Bhutan & India 2020
  14. White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris) — Costa Rica 2015
  15. Fork-tailed Palm Swift (Tachornis squamata) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019; Amazon 2024
  16. Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba) — Spain 2016
Family: Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) – 33
  1. Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis) — Texas 2024
  2. Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019; Amazon 2024
  3. Green-throated Mango (Anthracothorax viridigula) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  4. Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) — Texas 2024
  5. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) — Texas 2024
  6. White-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  7. Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) — Costa Rica 2015
  8. Blue-throated Goldentail (Chlorestes eliciae) — Costa Rica 2015
  9. Blue-chinned Sapphire (Chlorestes notata) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  10. Glittering-bellied Emerald (Chlorostilbon lucidus) — Buenos Aires 2021
  11. Blue-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon mellisugus) — Amazon 2024
  12. Ruby-topaz Hummingbird (Chrysolampis mosquitus) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  13. White-chested Emerald (Chrysuronia brevirostris) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  14. Glittering-throated Emerald (Chrysuronia leucogaster) — Amazon 2024
  15. Lesser Violetear (Green Violetear) (Colibri cyanotus) — Costa Rica 2015
  16. Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) — Costa Rica 2015
  17. Green Thorntail (Discosura conversii) — Costa Rica 2015
  18. White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) — Costa Rica 2015; Trinidad & Tobago 2019; Amazon 2024
  19. Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  20. Long-billed Starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  21. Violet-headed Hummingbird (Klais guimeti) — Costa Rica 2015
  22. Olive-spotted Hummingbird (Leucippus chlorocercus) — Amazon 2024
  23. Black-crested Coquette (Lophornis helenae) — Costa Rica 2015
  24. Tufted Coquette (Lophornis ornatus) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  25. Fiery-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis) — Costa Rica 2015
  26. Scaly-breasted Hummingbird (Phaeochroa cuvierii) — Costa Rica 2015
  27. Green Hermit (Phaethornis guy) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  28. Stripe-throated Hermit (Phaethornis striigularis) — Costa Rica 2015
  29. Blue-chested Hummingbird (Polyerata amabilis) — Costa Rica 2015
  30. Copper-rumped Hummingbird (Saucerottia tobaci) — Trinidad & Tobago 2019
  31. Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) — Yellowstone 2017
  32. Crowned Woodnymph (Violet-crowned Woodnymph) (Thalurania colombica) — Costa Rica 2015
  33. Band-tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes ruckeri) — Costa Rica 2015

Note: Image of oilbird sharpened by Gemini AI