Vaurie's nightjar


Vaurie's nightjar is a putative species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
It is endemic to China.
Its natural habitat is cold desert. However, it is threatened by habitat loss.
This bird is only known from a single 1929 specimen from Xinjiang, China, described by Charles Vaurie. It has never been found again, and it is quite possibly invalid as it has not yet been compared to the similar subspecies of the European nightjar, C. europaeus plumipes, which occurs at the locality where C. centralasicus was found.

Description

Vaurie's nightjar reaches a length of 19 centimeters. The top is beige-sand with a brown wave and strands drawing. A beard like the European nightjar is missing. The wings are beige-sand colored with brown wavy lines and light beige dots. The shoulders are yellow-brown with dark middle strands. The underside is light beige-brown banded. The lower wings are beige without white wing bands. The two extreme tail feathers have narrow light beige-white tips. The iris is dark brown. The beak is dark horny. Legs and feet are flesh-colored.