Appearance:

Unmistakable in summer with almost all black plumage. White oval wing-patches in all plumages. Only auk with white wing-panels. Bill quite slender and pointed, body and wings rounded. Winter plumage blotched in grey and white, with dark wings (with white coverts). Typically scans for food by frequently dipping forehead in the water.

Sound:

Call surprisingly high pitched. Quite pure, drawn out, plaintive whistling notes in same pitch range as Hazel Grouse.

Contact call:

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

Sounds:Recorded by David Farrow. http://www.xeno-canto.org .CC license

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.