AVITOPIA - Owlet-nightjars

The family of Owlet-Nightjars is endemic to Australia, New Guinea, and the Moluccas. The body length ranges from 20 cm to 32 cm. They have long wings and a long wedge-shaped tail. The flat, hook-shaped bill is short, the throat wide. The legs and feet are larger than with other families of the order. On the forehead are long, erectible bristles. The habitat is open landscapes and light forests. The Owlet-Nightjars are nocturnal and solitary. They fly noiselessly and quickly. As a rule, they peck insects from the ground for food, but rarely catch them in the air. They nest in tree cavities, sometimes in burrows in the ground. The clutch consists of three to five eggs. The breeding biology of almost all species is unknown.