Little Nightjar

Little Nightjar

Setopagis parvula

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at São Paulo

In 3 days <5%

39 Verified sightings at São Paulo
308 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Little Nightjar

The little nightjar (Setopagis parvula) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The little nightjar was formally described in 1837 by the English ornithologist John Gould under the binomial name Caprimulgus parvulus. Gould did not specify a locality but the specimen had come from near Santa Fe, on the Rio Paraná in northeastern Argentina. The specific epithet parvulus is Latin meaning "very small". The little nightjar is now placed in the genus Setopagis that was introduced in 1912 by the American ornithologist Robert Ridgway. At various times what are now Todd's nightjar (Setopagis heterura) and Anthony's nightjar (Nyctidromus anthonyi) were considered subspecies of little nightjar, but it is now treated as monotypic. Molecular genetic analysis has shown that the little nightjar is sister to Todd's nightjar (Setopagis heterura).

The little nightjar is 19 to 21 cm (7.5 to 8.3 in) long and weighs 25 to 46.5 g (0.88 to 1.6 oz). The male is generally grayish brown with buff, brown, and blackish brown spots and streaks. The belly is buff with brown bars... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:33

Brazil · 2026

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1155545 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:31

Bolivia · 2021

© A. Bennett Hennessey · XC697036 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:54

Bolivia · 2021

© Jacob Wijpkema · XC675230 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
2 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
4 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
5 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
6 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
7 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
8 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
9 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
2 Asuncion 🇵🇾 Paraguay
<5%
3 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Parque das Aves 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Little Nightjar in São Paulo?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Nightjar sighting in São Paulo on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 251st most-seen of the 353 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 Little Nightjar in São Paulo?

Any time of year

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

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

Between 6 and 9 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Little Nightjar sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is São Paulo the best place to see a Little Nightjar?

Among the best

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Little Nightjar sightings, São Paulo ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Buenos Aires (Argentina, under 5%) and Asuncion (Paraguay, under 5%).

Where does the Little Nightjar sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Little Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in São Paulo (39 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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