Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Yucatan poorwill (Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the Yucatán Peninsula of Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. The Yucatan poorwill has sometimes been placed in genus Otophanes, which was later merged into the current Nyctiphrynus. It, the ocellated poorwill (N. ocellatus), and the eared poorwill (N. mcleodii) are sister species. Especially it and the eared poorwill are believed to be the closest living relatives due to the similarity in songs and plumage characteristics. The Yucatan poorwill is monotypic.
The Yucatan poorwill is 19.5 to 22 cm (7.7 to 8.7 in) long, making it the smallest species of nightjar in the Yucatán Peninsula. One male weighed 21.3 g (0.75 oz) and one female 27.7 g (0.98 oz). Both sexes have a brown morph; there is also a rufous morph that is much more prevalent among females. The former is mostly dark grayish brown with a variety of dusky, gray, and black vermiculation and streaks. Its face is dark sooty brown to brownish black with brown vermiculation. It has a faint buffy collar on its nape and a white patch on the throat. The underparts are brown... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 2 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yucatán Poorwill sighting in Tikal National Park on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 204th most-seen of the 300 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yucatán Poorwill in Tikal National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to February, the lowest months. That is one of Tikal National Park's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain against 190 mm in June.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yucatán Poorwill 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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Yucatán Poorwill sightings, Tikal National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yucatán Poorwill is recorded against all the birds logged in Tikal National Park (43 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.
