Setopagis parvula
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 7 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 9 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Asuncion | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | |
| 3 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque das Aves | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Nightjar sighting in Iguazú National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 325th most-seen of the 343 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Nightjar in Iguazú National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
9th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Little Nightjar sightings, Iguazú National Park ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in El Impenetrable National Park (Argentina, about 10%), Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (Brazil, about 10%) and Iberá National Park (Argentina, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguazú National Park (13 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.
