PAURAQUE Nyctidromus albicollis
The Pauraque (pronounced "Poor-a-kee") is one of the most familiar Paraguayan nightjars, thanks largely to its unpretensious habitat tastes and habit of sitting on roads. In some areas they are even attracted to street lights, posing on the floor and periodically flying up to snatch a juicy moth attracted to the artificial light source. Like many nightjars they freeze when exposed to a bright light, meaning that they can be approached closely. However, the downside is that many are killed by cars on roads!
Click the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE1229PH) Adult male brown phase, Estancia Señorita, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE1230PH) Adult female grey phase, Mbaracayú Forest Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Paul Smith April 2005).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE1231PH) Adult female grey phase upperwing, Bahía Negra, Departamento Alto Paraguay  (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE3945PH) Female rufous phase, Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro  (Jon Smit January 2011).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE1232PH) Fledgling,  Mbaracayú Forest Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Paul Smith October 2008).
VIDEO - (FPAVE1233VI) Adult, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith September 2010).
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Nyctidromus albicollis
1 (FPAVE1234RE) Call  recorded Estancia Golondrina, Departamento Canindeyú (Myriam Velázquez October 2000).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.
Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Jon Smit, Jonny Miller, Para La Tierra and Myriam Velázquez and is used with permission.
Gallery 2 - Nyctidromus albicollis nest
A nest of this nocturnal nightjar was found on 8 October 2012 at Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro by Jonny Miller of Para La Tierra. He writes: "The nest is very indistinct from the surrounding leaf litter - it appears that no leaf litter has been removed or added in order to create the nest, there is instead a slight depression where the adult sits on the eggs. This area is about 9cm across, with a very slightly raised area (seemingly from displacement of leaves from the depression area, rather than by design) spanning about 15-18cm. The nest was very exposed in a fairly open area: The nearest tree to the nest is about 1.5m away, with sparse vines and dead branches spreading out just enough to be above the nest, about 1.5m above.  The egg dimensions are 28x20mm and 29x20.5mm." All photos and text by Jonny Miller/Para La Tierra.

FIGURE 2a - (FPAVE3717PH) Sitting female.
FIGURE 2b - (FPAVE3718PH) Nest.
FIGURE 2c - (FPAVE3719PH) Eggs.
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