The lyre-tailed nightjar (Uropsalis lyra) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The lyre-tailed nightjar shares its genus with the swallow-tailed nightjar (Uropsalis segmentata). It has three subspecies, the nominate U. l. lyra, U. l. peruana, and U. l. argentina. Description The male lyre-tailed nightjar has extremely long outer tail feathers from which the species gets its name; they are more than twice as long as its body. The female's tail is much shorter and less graduated. Adults of the nominate subspecies are long excluding the tail streamers. The tail exceeds in length. Males weigh about and females about . The male's upperparts are brown. Its crown and nape are spotted with grayish white, buff, tawny, and cinnamon; the back also has tawny and cinnamon spots. It has a broad tawny "collar" around the nape. The tail is brown; the streamers have broad grayish white tips and the other tail feathers are barred and mottled with tawny and buff. The wings are also overall brown with buff, tawny, and cinnamon spots and mottling. The chin and throat are tawny or buff with brown bars and spots, and the "collar" extends across the throat. The breast and upper belly are brown with dense tawny bars and spots. the lower belly and flanks are buff barred with brown. The female's crown is grayish rather than brown and the primary wing feathers have more prominent rufous markings than the male's. U. l. peruana is somewhat larger than the nominate and has a more reddish cast overall. U. l. argentina is the largest of the three subspecies. Compared to the nominate, its breast markings are whiter, and the tail streamers are tipped with gray instead of white. Distribution and habitat The nominate subspecies of lyre-tailed nightjar is found in the Andes of western Venezuela, western Colombia, and Ecuador, and possibly northern Peru. U. l. peruana is found on the east slope of the Andes of Peru and into central Bolivia. U. l. argentina is found in the Andes of northern Argentina and possibly southern Bolivia. In elevation the species mostly ranges from but occurs as low as and as high as . It inhabits humid montane forest, especially its edges and openings. It favors cliffs and ravines near running water. Behavior Feeding The lyre-tailed nightjar is crepuscular and