Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Straneck and Viñas (1994) described the song of Sickle-winged Nightjar as a series of soft chip, tchup, or tchut notes, repeated at a rate of ca 8 notes per second, for up to two-three minutes at a time. Other observers have not reported this vocalization, however. Kirwan et al. (1999) describe "some chirping, cricket-like sounds", which Accordi (2002) interpreted as the song.

For a representative audio recording with sonogram, see audio

Other authors, however, describe the song as "a soft, single tick" (Cleere 2010).

Reported flight calls include a harsh, nasal gzee gzee (Straneck and Viñas 1994; but also not reported by other observers?), or a "simple tik" given by a female in flight (Kirwan et al. 1999).

Additional audio recordings of vocalizations of Sickle-winged Nightjar can be heard at Macaulay Library and at xeno-canto.

When patrolling its territory, the male makes distinctly audible flapping sounds with its wings. Also, during courtship flights the male occasionally produces muffled thudding sounds with its wings (Cleere 1998).