Scrub Nightjar Nyctidromus anthonyi

The Scrub Nightjar is not a rare species, but it is very poorly known. This species has a restricted distribution, as it is confined to dry scrub habitats in southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It also was classified for decades as a subspecies of the Little Nightjar (Caprimulgus parvulus), which has an extensive distribution east of the Andes. Although the Scrub Nightjar is a small nightjar, similar in size to Little Nightjar, Scrub differs from Little in plumage and in voice. The most distinctive features of the plumage of Scrub Nightjar are the extensive white stripes along the inner webs of the outer rectrices. The song of Scrub Nightjar also is quite different from that of Little Nightjar: in fact, the short, clear whistled song of Scrub is more similar to the song of Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) than it is to the odd, gurgling song of Little Nightjar. There is very little further information about this species. The conservation status of the Scrub Nightjar is rated as Least Concern, although it has a small distribution, and its relative abundance usually is assessed as uncommon.