About Nyctipolus hirundinaceus (von Spix, 1825)
The pygmy nightjar (Nyctipolus hirundinaceus) is 16 to 20 cm (6.3 to 7.9 in) long; one measured male weighed 32 g (1.1 oz). Males of the nominate subspecies have brown upperparts marked with grayish white and cinnamon speckles. Their tail is brown with paler bars, and some feathers have white tips. They have a buffy throat stripe, and a white chin and throat with brown bars. The upper breast has a broad buffy cinnamon band with brown spots; the lower breast is brown with pale spots and bars, and the belly and flanks are buff with brown bars. Females are similar to males but paler, and lack white coloration on the tail. The subspecies N. h. cearae is paler than the nominate subspecies, with a more rufous belly and lighter brown bars on the underparts, and more white on its tail. The subspecies N. h. veilliardi is darker than the nominate subspecies. The nominate subspecies of pygmy nightjar is found in the northeastern Brazilian states of Piauí, Bahia, and Alagoas. N. h. cearae is also found in northeastern Brazil, ranging from northern Ceará south into extreme northern Bahia. N. h. veilliardi is found in southeastern Minas Gerais and west central Espírito Santo, which are states in eastern Brazil. The pygmy nightjar inhabits dry landscapes of scrub and deciduous forest. Within the caatinga region, it favors gravelly or stony sites. Within the Atlantic Forest region, it is typically found at stony outcrops.
