Appearance:

Unmistakable due to the extremely long, red legs. High contrast plumage with pointed, black wings (both upper and under-side) and white underparts. Tail white, with white wedge extending up back. Back of adult male sooty black, while brownish black in female and immature. Head all white or with black markings independent of sex (males more often have black markings than females though). Immature with faint, pale fringes to coverts, and white trailing edge to secondaries visible in flight.

Sound:

Most vocal at breeding ground. Various short,sharp "kyp" may resemble both Avocet, Coot and Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus). While a tern-like "kee-arr" is more distinct. Note that immature birds have a different contact call closely resembling Wood Sandpiper, but do not utter it in series.

Contact calls:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Told from Common Nightjar by evenly broad pale bands on coverts, no dark leading edge of wing and rufous necklace all around nape. Underparts more rufous than C. Nightjar, and white throat-patch larger. Sexes are very similar, and both show white patches on wings and tail. Larger than C.N. and with experience possible to identify in silhouetting flight by it's larger head and longer tail.

Sound:

Female calls with rasping series of "eech-eech-eech-eech". Flightcall resembles C.N. Song very diagnostic, and not likely to be confused with any other sound. May be described as a fairly deep and resonant knocking, with a steam-engine-like rhythm; "ko-tok, ko-tok, ko-tok, ko-tok ".

Song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-Photo:Hans Verdaat, Licence,Link.

CC-Photo:Bram Borkent, Licence,Link.

CC-Photo:Jorrit Vlot, Licence,Link.