Caprimulgus ruficollis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The red-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis) is the largest of the nightjars occurring in Europe. It breeds in Iberia and North Africa, and winters in tropical West Africa. Caprimulgus is derived from the Latin capra, "nanny goat", and mulgere, "to milk", referring to an old myth that nightjars suck milk from goats. The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus, "red", and collum, "neck".
The common name "nightjar", first recorded in 1630, refers to the nocturnal habits of the bird, the second part of the name deriving from the distinctive churring song. There are two subspecies: nominate ruficollis, breeding in Iberia, and desertorum breeding in North Africa. The North African form desertorum is paler than the Iberian one, and has different patterning on the base of its primary feathers: dark and orange bands of approximately equal width, compared to the narrower orange bands and greater extent of black of ruficollis.
The variegated plumage resembles the European nightjar. The adult is lichen-grey, barred and streaked with buff, chestnut and black. The underparts are barred. It is larger and longer-tailed than the more widespread species, and has... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-necked Nightjar sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 64 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 191st most-seen of the 202 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 Red-necked Nightjar in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-necked Nightjar sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Red-necked Nightjar sightings, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Monfragüe National Park (Spain, under 5%) and Doñana National Park (Spain, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-necked Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (64 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.
