Caprimulgus inornatus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The plain nightjar (Caprimulgus inornatus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It breeds in the southern Sahel, Southern Sudan, the Horn of Africa and the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. It migrates to lower latitudes - including central Congo and northern Tanzania. A rather plain looking nightjar with grey-brown, brown, and rufous morphs. Males have white spots on primaries (4 feathers), large white corners to tail, and no white on the throat (may show black spots on the crown and scapulars like Star-spotted Nightjar). Females have buffy-brown wing spots, and no white on the tail.
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Plain Nightjar sighting in Tsavo West National Park on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 265th most-seen of the 380 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.
February, April and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Plain Nightjar in Tsavo West National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March and May–November, the lowest months. Those are among Tsavo West National Park's wettest months, with about 85 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in July.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Plain Nightjar sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Plain Nightjar sightings, Tsavo West National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda, under 5%) and Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Plain Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in Tsavo West National Park (24 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.
