The elusive Swamp nightjar favours wetland edge in the coastal grasslands of North Eastern KZN. Much of their preferred habitat has been eliminated due to exotic eucalyptus plantations and sugar cane agriculture so the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park is the last stronghold for these beautiful birds.
Typical nightjars, they are largely crepuscular hunters, emerging at dusk to hunt flying insects on the wing using their disproportionately large gape (exaggerated even more by bristles at the base of the bill) to catch insects. After feeding, they tend to roost in short grassy areas surrounding wetlands.
If disturbed, they often walk/shuffle along the ground to denser cover where they crawl rodent-like in dense tufts of grass -a diagnostic trait of this nightjar.
Similar to other nightjars, they are also very vocal, the repetitive ‘chop-chop’ call made my males a common feature of coastal grasslands at night.
By day they roost in dense tufts of Lala palm or Wild date palm so are almost impossible to flush around St Lucia.
The most reliable way to find these birds is to book a night excursion and search for the orange glow of their eyes using a spotlight.
Typical nightjars, they are largely crepuscular hunters, emerging at dusk to hunt flying insects on the wing using their disproportionately large gape (exaggerated even more by bristles at the base of the bill) to catch insects. After feeding, they tend to roost in short grassy areas surrounding wetlands.
If disturbed, they often walk/shuffle along the ground to denser cover where they crawl rodent-like in dense tufts of grass -a diagnostic trait of this nightjar.
Similar to other nightjars, they are also very vocal, the repetitive ‘chop-chop’ call made my males a common feature of coastal grasslands at night.
By day they roost in dense tufts of Lala palm or Wild date palm so are almost impossible to flush around St Lucia.
The most reliable way to find these birds is to book a night excursion and search for the orange glow of their eyes using a spotlight.