Heinrich's nightjar
The Satanic nightjar (Eurostopodus diabolicus ), also Heinrich's nightjar, is a mid-sized, spotted, dark brown nightjar endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The species was discovered in 1931 by Gerd Heinrich, a German natural historian who collected a single female holotype from Mount Klabat on the Minahasa peninsula of Northern Sulawesi. In the following decades, there were a few unconfirmed reports of sightings and calls of the bird, but it did not officially resurface until 1996 when David Bishop and Jared Diamond positively identified it in Lore Lindu National Park by its sound. Making the visible rediscovery available for multiple people in the tour group including poet and writer Jan Zwaaneveld. This increased the bird's estimated range by 750 km. It has since been observed and described in the literature multiple times.
The Satanic nightjar's common and Latin name originate from interpretations of its vocalizations. Some authors report that in flight, the bird makes a "plip-plop" call like dripping water, which locals have also likened to the sound of the bird pulling out a person's eye. However, this description may be wrongly attributed to this species as it does not agree with more recent accounts of the bird's call. It is also sometimes called Heinrich's nightjar, the diabolical nightjar, the devilish nightjar, the Sulawesi nightjar and other names. These last three names have largely fallen out of use. Its common names sometimes also include the word "eared" despite its lack of ear tufts. Some of this bird's advocates prefer the name "Satanic", believing it will draw more attention and conservation interest to the little-known nightjar.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Satanic nightjar measures about 27 cm long. It has a white to buff-colored collar at its throat, blackish head, greyish-brown back, barred brown belly, and white spots on its 3rd and 4th outer primaries. It can be distinguished from other nightjars in the area by its dark color and the absence of ear tufts, white tail, and wing patches.
The Satanic nightjar is restricted to Sulawesi, Indonesia. It inhabits lowland and mountain rainforests of the region from 250 to 2300 meters above sea level. It seems to favour edge habitats with low canopies and groves of palms and rattans. It can be found in forest clearings, as well as open spaces created by roads and trails in old-growth forests. While it has mostly been sighted in the north and central parts of the island, its range could extend over all of Sulawesi.
Like other nightjars, this bird preys on insects while flying. It hunts along the forest edge, active near dusk and dawn. However, little is known about its diet. It is thought to feed primarily on nocturnal insects such as moths.
The Satanic nightjar has a generation time of 5.4 years. It breeds from March to October, though this range might actually encompass two distinct breeding seasons. It roosts and nests on the ground, its cryptic plumage helping it blend in with the surrounding leaf litter during the day. The bird builds nests in open areas with a bit of cover from surrounding logs and vegetation such as ferns and moss. Its nest consists of a shallow scrape and a few leaves, with one nest measured to be 1 cm deep and 14 cm wide. In this, the bird will lay a cream-colored egg with brown spots. Observed nests have typically contained only a single egg or chick which the parents raise for a month or more. When its offspring are threatened, the Satanic nightjar has been observed to spread its wings and tail, and gape widely, sometimes calling or agitating its body.
