From Opus

Photo by Tannin
Near Lake Boga, northern Victoria, Australia, March 2006

Aegotheles cristatus

[edit] Identification

Male:
Grey, with paler underparts faintly barred with black. Two wide black stripes extend over the head from the top of the eyes, and meet on the back of the neck.
Female

• Two colour morphs
  

Rufous and Grey, though the grey form has some rufous tinging. Otherwise similar to the male.

[edit] Distribution

Australia including Tasmania, and New Guinea.

[edit] Taxonomy

In the past, New Caledonian Owlet-Nightjar has been included in Australian Owlet-Nightjar.

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

Two subspecies are recognized:

• A. c. cristatus (major, leucogaster):

• South-eastern New Guinea and Australia

• A. c. tasmanicus:

• Tasmania

[edit] Habitat

Photo showing full length of bird by Mat & Cathy
Location: Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Victoria, Australia, February 2009

Woodland, open valleys, wetlands and areas of degraded agricultural land.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

They nest in hollow tree or fencepost. They raise one brood per season. Both sexes construct the nest, incubate the eggs and care for the chicks.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Birds in Backyards
3. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links