THE MALAYAII NIGHTJAR 
Capr'mmlgMS macrourus Hmaculaius (Peale) 
Malay name: — Burong- ttikang*; B. s6gan. 
Descnption : — Like the owls the nightjars are very difficiih 
birds to describe without resorting to a highly detailed account 
of their plumage which for our present purpose is most 
undesirable. 
The general effect their plumage produces is that of a 
highly variegated mass of brown, buff and grey, somewhat 
Hke the lichen covered bark of a tree. 
In the prest^nt species the upper parts are best described 
as ashy brown with large and irregularly placed and shaped 
pale buff and black spots and the whole linely mottled witli a 
darker colour, The onderparts are buff, narrowly barred with 
dark brown. There is a large white patch on the throat. The 
outer tail feathers are also half white and the wing quills have 
a conspicuous white patch half-way along their length. 
The female is very like the male but has no white spots 
on the wing and tail quills. 
I rides, bill and feet brown. 
In length this nightjar runs to about ri inches with a 
wing of about /i inches. 
Dutribuiion : — Forms of Caprimulgus fnacrannts are 
found hi India, Burma, Siam. China, the Majay Peninsula and 
Malaysian Islands and as far east as New Guinea and Australia. 
The actual form found resident in Singapore has a compara- 
tively limited range including the Malay Peninsula (as far 
north as Penang) and Sumatra. 
Status in Singapore : —This is a common bird on the island 
but most numerous in the autumn when there is a considerable 
infiux of "foreigners". The loca: stock thins out very appreci- 
ably in spring hut some few pairs remain to breed. 
Habits: ^This nightjar is commoner in cultivated areas 
than in the dense jungle. It patrols the roads and gardens 
for its insect food flitting along in a very light manner and 
sometimes settling on the ground. It does not become active 
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