Caprimulgus rufigena
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The rufous-cheeked nightjar (Caprimulgus rufigena) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is an intra-African migrant that breeds in the south of its range. It spends the non-breeding season in eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, southern Chad and Sudan, the Republic of the Congo, the D.R.C. and western Central African Republic. Throughout the year it can be found in Southern Africa. It is a nocturnal species that feeds on flying insects, mainly hunting at dusk and the early night. They can hunt at night thanks to their large eyes that are adept at seeing in the dark. They cannot see in complete darkness and most likely cannot see colours either. The rufous-cheeked nightjar forms monogamous pairs and the egg laying period is from September to November. It looks very similar to other African nightjars and they are frequently misidentified during research and studies.
The rufous-cheeked nightjar is in the Caprimulgiformes order which after changes in 2021 solely contains the family Caprimulgidae. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-cheeked Nightjar sighting in Hwange National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 190th most-seen of the 308 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-cheeked Nightjar in Hwange National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to November, the lowest months. That is one of Hwange National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-cheeked 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.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Rufous-cheeked Nightjar sightings, Hwange National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in Hwange National Park (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
