ML72888261

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

White-throated Nightjar flying away from observer, wings level

Observation details

1. Description of bird (include as relevant size; shape; colour of plumage, legs, eyes, bill; call; sex; age) Initial jizz when the bird was first visually acquired, without bins, implied a Collared Sparrowhawk because of an obvious square tail and the size. Then when I was able to get bins on the bird I was able to identify as a nightjar species. The nightjar was darkly plumaged with no apparent white throat observed, though face was framed by pale feathers. As the bird banked I got the impression of lightly coloured feathers on the upper wing forming a letter M. No sign of white spots on wing. Flight was buoyant with wings held high. 2. Description of the bird's behaviour (alone? feeding? in flight? on ground?) In was in closed woodland when a dark bird flew past me at a range of about 10 m at a height of about 1.5 m. Bird was then chased by a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Second bird also flew out of woodland in loose company with the first. About 20 minutes prior to this encounter I had seen what I thought was a dark accipiter flying low into the same woodland, which I am now convinced was the nightjar 3. Habitat Habitat was eucalyptus woodland with many stringy bark. Substrate was grass on a rocky hillside. 4. Weather conditions Warm 18.1°C; still; 6/8 cloud. 5. Optical aids used? Bird watched through Swarovski 10 x 42 binoculars and photographed with Nikon Coolpix B700 60x optical zoom 6. For how long did you watch the bird? I watched the birds for about 90 seconds. At 0850 On 7 November 2017 I had another brief observation of two birds in flight. Contemporaneous notes from eBird were: 'Rounded wings raised almost vertically in upward stroke of flapping flight. Not unlike Gang gang Cockatoo. Later heard what sounded like the preliminary call of a laughing kookaburra and the 'chopping wood' sound. Same location as previous sighting; rocky understorey'. 7. What experience have you had with this species? I have not had very much experience with this species. Prior to this sighting, I have observed White-throated Nightjar on one occasion which was 25 March 2007 at Jerrabomberra Wetlands. I have observed Spotted Nightjar on four occasions in NSW, Qld and WA. 8. Other comments (other observers present; what made you eliminate 'look-alike' or 'sound-alike' species) No other observers were present. The only other regional bird that could have been confused with the White-throated Nightjar is Spotted Nightjar Eurostopodus argus. This species was initially considered when no white throat was observed, however in my mind, the lack of prominent white spots in the outer primaries of the observed bird, coupled with darker underparts ruled this species out.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX B700

ISO

100

Focal length

64.5 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/500 sec

Dimensions

934 pixels x 603 pixels

Original file size

87.06 KB