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 Avidiversity  AVITOPIA - Oilbirds

Scientific system: Clements et al.

Familia: Steatornithidae

You can get "Checklist of the Oilbirds of Planet Earth" as an e-book here.


The only species of the family of Oilbirds occurs in northern South America. The body size is 40 cm to 49 cm. They have long wings, long tails, and small feet. The plumage is reddish brown with white spots. Their habitat are cave-rich forests. You have a very good sense of smell. Their eyes are small, but extremely 'fast' due to the large pupil (aperture). In addition, the rod photoreceptor cell density is higher than that of any other vertebrate animal. They can also orientate themselves in complete darkness, as they are one of the few species of birds that are able to echolocate, similar to bats. To do this, they emit clicks that are, however, in the frequency range that humans can hear. They are nocturnal and feed on the fruits of the oil palm and laurel, among other things. During the day they stay in caves that can be up to 1 km long. They nest in colonies, the nest consists of mud, droppings and fruit residues. The female lays two to four eggs that are hatched by both partners. The chicks hatch after about 23 days.

Steatornis

     caripensis - Oilbird (7)

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