breast buff with brown bars, and the belly and flanks tawny buff with brown bars. The subspecies differ somewhat in size and in the extent and intensity of the spots, speckles, and bars that overlay the ground color. The most common vocalization varies slightly among subspecies, and has been described as a "constantly repeated but well-spaced ewIT ... ewIT ... ewIT ..." (L. s. nattereri) and "a sharp, slightly liquid g'wik or gweek" (L. s. stonei). It is given both when perched and in flight. Distribution and habitat The short-tailed nighthawk is widely distributed across Central and northern South America. It primarily inhabits lowland evergreen forest but also is found in more open landscapes such as clearings, river edges, old cacao plantations, and middle-aged secondary forest. The northern populations are generally resident though the seasonal distribution of subspecies in Amazonia is not well known. The southerly ones are migratory and may move as far north as Venezuela during the austral winter. Behavior Feeding The short-tailed nighthawk is an aerial insectivore that forages mostly at dusk. Though its diet has not been studied in detail it is known to include beetles and true bugs. It is usually seen singly or in pairs but sometimes forages in small flocks. Its flight is "rapid and erratic" and has been compared to a bat's. It roosts in trees, lengthwise on a thick branch. Breeding The short-tailed nighthawk, with its former subspecies the rufous-bellied nightjar, are the only members of their family known to nest in trees. It lays its single egg on a large horizontal branch without using any added material. Status The IUCN has assessed the short-tailed nighthawk as being of Least Concern. It has a large range and a large population, though the latter is thought to be decreasing. No threats other than local deforestation have been identified. References short-tailed nighthawk Birds of Central America Birds of South America short-tailed nighthawk short-tailed nighthawk Taxonomy articles created by Polbot