Freckled Nightjar

Freckled Nightjar

Caprimulgus tristigma

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Johannesburg

In 3 days <5%

11 Verified sightings at Johannesburg
454 In all 14 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Freckled Nightjar

The freckled nightjar or freckled rock nightjar (Caprimulgus tristigma) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It has a wide yet patchy distribution throughout the Afrotropics. This species occurs throughout sub-Saharan African in localized populations. It is scarce in western Africa, occurring more commonly in the East. In the southern part of the continent, it is a year-round resident of the colder and drier areas, occurring most commonly in Zimbabwe, northern and eastern Botswana, western Mozambique, and eastern South Africa.

It has been found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The freckled nightjar is a large, powerfully-build species of nightjar with long wings and relatively short tails. They lack any prominent markings and appear dark gray or nearly black from a distance. At closer range, white, cinnamon... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:33

Namibia · 2023

© Bram Vogels · XC892945 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:50

South Africa · 2023

© Marc Anderson · XC875565 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:30

South Africa · 2022

© Ehren Eksteen · XC793333 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
2 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
3 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
4 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
5 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
6 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
7 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
8 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
9 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
10 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
11 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
12 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
13 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
14 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
2 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Freckled Nightjar in Johannesburg?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Freckled Nightjar sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 200th most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Freckled Nightjar in Johannesburg?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Freckled Nightjar in Johannesburg on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Freckled Nightjar?

Between 6 and 9 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Freckled Nightjar sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Johannesburg the best place to see a Freckled Nightjar?

Among the best

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Freckled Nightjar sightings, Johannesburg ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kampala (Uganda, under 5%).

Where does the Freckled Nightjar sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Freckled Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in Johannesburg (11 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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