Large-tailed Nightjar

1. Males display bold white patches on the outer wings and tail, especially noticeable when the bird is flushed.

2. The species produces a soft, repetitive song often described as “tok tok tok.”

3. Most active at dusk and dawn, hunting insects with buoyant, swooping flight`.`

Large-tailed Nightjars are aerial insectivores, feeding mainly on moths, beetles, and other flying insects caught during agile, silent flight. They may also forage on the ground for ants if insects are scarce. In northern Australia, breeding typically occurs from March to June. The female lays 1–2 well-camouflaged eggs in a shallow ground scrape, usually under leaf litter or vegetation. Both parents share incubation duties: the female incubates during the day, while the male takes over at night. Chicks are camouflaged and may leave the nest site shortly after hatching. The species relies heavily on camouflage for protection, flying only a short distance if disturbed during daylight hours.

In Australia, the Large-tailed Nightjar inhabits northern Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It prefers open forests, woodland edges, mangroves, plantations, and sometimes urban parks and gardens. The species is best located by listening for its distinctive calls after sunset or by watching for birds hunting around streetlights, where insects gather.