Skip to main content
Log in

A molecular analysis of the mysterious Vaurie’s Nightjar Caprimulgus centralasicus yields fresh insight into its taxonomic status

Journal of Ornithology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One of the last remaining enigmas among Palearctic bird species is Vaurie’s Nightjar Caprimulgus centralasicus. It is known from a single specimen, said to be an adult female, collected in September 1929 southeast of Yarkand, Xinjiang, in westernmost China, and originally identified as an Egyptian Nightjar C. aegyptius. All major world checklists and authors of monographs on the Caprimulgiformes accept C. centralasicus as a species, but efforts to rediscover it in the field have failed, meaning that occasional doubts have been expressed as to its taxonomic validity. We subjected the holotype of C. centralasicus to a molecular examination and renewed morphological comparisons, with the aim of resolving its status. We independently confirmed in two different laboratories that C. centralasicus has an identical partial fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 b (COI) as five European Nightjars C. europaeus. The overall plumage coloration (but not size) of C. centralasicus is reasonably similar, especially on the upperparts, to at least some specimens of C. europaeus of the subspecies C. e. unwini and C. e. plumipes, and by implication to that of C. e. dementievi too, while several specimens of Sykes’s Nightjar C. mahrattensis are a reasonably close match in coloration to C. centralasicus, also lack an obvious nuchal collar, and possess a similar-length tail and pattern. There is a high degree of likelihood that C. centralasicus is a synonym of C. e. plumipes, but the small size of the holotype compared to C. europaeus persists in being difficult to fully rationalize, although we believe that the bird is, in fact, a fledgling in its first plumage, parts of which are still growing, which would explain much of the difference. In addition, based on current data, there is no correspondence between described subspecies of C. europaeus and genetic variability. Phylogeographic structure within C. europaeus and its correspondence with morphological, especially plumage variation, requires further investigation using a more comprehensive geographic sampling from the breeding grounds.

Zusammenfassung

Eine molekulare Analyse der mysteriösen Vaurienachtschwalbe Caprimulgus centralasicus ergibt neue Einblicke in ihren taxonomischen Satus

Eines der letzten verbliebenen Rätsel unter den paläarktischen Vogelarten ist die Vaurienachtschwalbe Caprimulgus centralasicus. Sie ist von einem einzigen Exemplar bekannt, bestimmt als adultes Weibchen, das im September 1929 südöstlich von Yarkand, Xinjiang, im äußersten Westen Chinas gesammelt und ursprünglich als ein Pharaonenziegenmelker C. aegyptius identifiziert wurde. Alle wichtigen Artenlisten und Monographien über Caprimulgiformes akzeptieren zwar den Artstatus von C. centralasicus, aber jegliche Bemühungen, die Art im Feld wiederzuentdecken, sind gescheitert. Entsprechend wurden gelegentlich Zweifel an der Gültigkeit des Taxons geäußert. Um den taxonomischen Status von C. centralasicus zu klären, haben wir den Holotypus einer molekularen Untersuchung und erneuten morphologischen Vergleichen unterzogen. In zwei verschiedenen Labors unabhängig voneinander durchgeführte molekulare Untersuchungen konnten zeigen, dass C. centralasicus ein identisches Teilfragment des mitochondrialen Gens Cytochromoxidase Untereinheit 1 b (COI) wie fünf Individuen des Ziegenmelkers C. europaeus besitzt. Die Gesamtfärbung des Gefieders (aber nicht die Größe) von C. centralasicus ähnelt, vor allem auf der Oberseite, zumindest einigen Exemplaren von C. europaeus der Unterarten C. e. unwini und C. e. plumipes, und damit auch von C. e.dementievi. Auch einige Exemplare der Sykesnachtschwalbe C. mahrattensis sind in ihrer Färbung C. centralasicus recht ähnlich, diese haben ebenfalls kein ausgeprägtes Nackenband und einen ähnlich langen Schwanz. Mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit ist C. centralasicus ein Synonym für C. e. plumipes, auch wenn die geringe Größe des Holotypus im Vergleich zu C. europaeus zunächst schwer erklärbar ist. Wir glauben aber, dass es sich dabei um einen Jungvogel im ersten vollständigen Gefieder mit noch nicht abgeschlossenem Wachstum des Großgefieders handelt, was den Größenunterschied erklären würde. Bemerkenswerterweise zeigen unsere Daten keine Übereinstimmung zwischen der genetischen Variabilität und den beschriebenen Unterarten von C. europaeus. Die phylogeographische Struktur innerhalb von C. europaeus und ihre Übereinstimmung mit der Morphologie, insbesondere der Gefiedervariation, erfordert weitere Untersuchungen eines größeren geographischen Probenumfangs aus den Brutgebieten.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ali S, Ripley SD (1970) The handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan, 1st edn, vol 4. Oxford University Press, Bombay

    Google Scholar 

  • Alstrom P, Jonsson KA, Fjeldsa J, Odeen A, Ericson PGP, Irestedt M (2015) Dramatic niche shifts and morphological change in two insular bird species. R Soc Open Sci 2015:2

    Google Scholar 

  • Areta JI, Piacentini VD, Haring E, Gamauf A, Silveira LF, Machado E, Kirwan GM (2016) Tiny bird, huge mystery-the possibly extinct hooded seedeater (Sporophila melanops) is a capuchino with a melanistic cap. PLoS ONE 2016:11

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayé R, Hertwig ST, Schweizer M (2010) Discovery of a breeding area of the enigmatic large-billed reed warbler Acrocephalus orinus. J Avian Biol 41:452–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bensch S, Pearson D (2002) The Large-billed reed warbler Acrocephalus orinus revisited. Ibis 144:259–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouckaert R, Heled J, Kuhnert D, Vaughan T, Wu CH, Xie D, Suchard MA, Rambaut A, Drummond AJ (2014) BEAST 2: a software platform for Bayesian evolutionary analysis. PLoS Comput Biol 2014:10

    Google Scholar 

  • Butchart SHM (2007) Birds to find: a review of “lost”, obscure and poorly known African bird species. Bull Afr Bird Club 14:139–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Butchart SHM, Crosby MJ, Collar NJ, Tobias JA (2005) Lost and poorly known birds: top targets for birders in Asia. Birding Asia 3:41–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman FM (1889) Further note on Amazilia aeneobrunnea. Bull Amer Mus Nat Hist 2:1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleere N (1998) Nightjars: a guide to nightjars and related nightbirds. Pica Press, Robertsbridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleere N (1999) Vaurie’s Nightjar Caprimulgus centralasicus. In: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J (eds) Handbook of the birds of the world. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, p 362

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleere N (2010) Nightjars, potoos, frogmouths, Oilbird and owlet-nightjars of the world. WildGuides, Old Basing

  • Cleere N, Ingels J (2004) Notes on the Cayenne nightjar Caprimulgus maculosus. Alauda 72:281–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Collar NJ, Andreev AV, Chan S, Crosby MJ, Subramanya S, Tobias JA (2001) Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data book. Part B. BirdLife International, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Collar NJ, Crosby MJ, Stattersfield AJ (1994) Birds to watch 2: the world list of threatened birds. BirdLife International, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Collar NJ, Fishpool LDC (2006) What is Pogoniulus makawai? Bull Afr Bird Club 13:18–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Collinson JM, Packert M, Lawrie Y, Gatter W, Topfer T, Phalan B, Fishpool L (2018) Taxonomic status of the Liberian Greenbul Phyllastrephus leucolepis and the conservation importance of the Cavalla Forest, Liberia. J Ornithol 159:19–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa TVV, Ingels J, Cavarzere V, Silveira LF (2015) A new look at the holotype and type locality of Setopagis maculosa (Todd, 1920) (Aves: Caprimulgidae), with remarks on its systematic relationships. Zootaxa 3999:581–588

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • del Hoyo J, Collar NJ (2014) HBW and BirdLife International illustrated checklist of the birds of the world Volume 1: No-passerines. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona

  • Dickinson EC, Remsen JV (2013) The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world, vol 1. Aves Press, Eastbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowsett-Lemaire F (2009) The song of presumed Prigogine’s Nightjar Caprimulgus prigoginei and its possible occurrence in Lower Guinea. Bull Afr Bird Club 16:174–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Forero MG, Tella JL (1997) Sexual dimorphism, plumage variability and species determination in nightjars: the need for further examination of the Nechisar Nightjar Caprimulgus solala. Ibis 139:407–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gamauf A, Haring E (2004) Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Honey-buzzards (genera Pernis and Henicopernis). J Zool Syst Evol Res 42:145–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gatter W (1985) Ein neuer Bülbül aus Westafrika (Aves, Pycnonotidae). J Orn 126:155–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glutz von Blotzheim UN, Bauer KM (1980) Handbuch der Vögel Mitteleuropas. Colmbuformes—Piciformes. Akademische Gesellschaft, Wiesbaden

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant PR, Grant BR (1992) Hybridization of bird species. Science 256:193–197

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graves GR (1993) Relic of a lost world—a new speices of sunangel (Trochilidae, Heliangelus) from ‘Bogota’. Auk 110:1–000

    Google Scholar 

  • Han KL, Robbins MB, Braun MJ (2010) A multi-gene estimate of phylogeny in the nightjars and nighthawks (Caprimulgidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 55:443–453

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haring E, Gamauf A, Kryukov A (2007) Phylogeographic patterns in widespread corvid birds. Mol Phylogenet Evol 45:840–862

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris RB, Alstrom P, Odeen A, Leache AD (2018) Discordance between genomic divergence and phenotypic variation in a rapidly evolving avian genus (Motacilla). Mol Phylogenet Evol 120:183–195

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hartert E (1892) XXI.—Notes on the Caprimulgidæ. Ibis 34:274–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hogner S, Laskemoen T, Lifjeld JT, Porkert J, Kleven O, Albayrak T, Kabasakal B, Johnsen A (2012) Deep sympatric mitochondrial divergence without reproductive isolation in the common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus. Ecol Evol 2:2974–2988

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Holyoak DT (2001) Nightjars and their allies. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Hung CM, Drovetski SV, Zink RM (2012) Multilocus coalescence analyses support a mtDNA-based phylogeographic history for a widespread Palearctic passerine bird, Sitta europaea. Evolution 66:2850–2864

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ingels J, Pelletier V (2001) Cayenne Nightjar Caprimulgus maculosus rediscovered. Cotinga 16:46–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingels J, Pelletier V, Cleere N (2009) Nighthawks and nightjars of the region of Saül, French Guiana. Alauda 77:303–308

    Google Scholar 

  • Irwin DE, Irwin JH (2005) Siberian migratory divides: the role of seasonal migration in speciation. In: Greenberg R, Marra P (eds) Birds of two worlds: the ecology and evolution of migration. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp 27–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis ED, Mirarab S, Aberer AJ, Li B, Houde P, Li C, Ho SYW, Faircloth BC, Nabholz B, Howard JT, Suh A, Weber CC, da Fonseca RR, Li JW, Zhang F, Li H, Zhou L, Narula N, Liu L, Ganapathy G, Boussau B, Bayzid MS, Zavidovych V, Subramanian S, Gabaldon T, Capella-Gutierrez S, Huerta-Cepas J, Rekepalli B, Munch K, Schierup M, Lindow B, Warren WC, Ray D, Green RE, Bruford MW, Zhan XJ, Dixon A, Li SB, Li N, Huang YH, Derryberry EP, Bertelsen MF, Sheldon FH, Brumfield RT, Mello CV, Lovell PV, Wirthlin M, Schneider MPC, Prosdocimi F, Samaniego JA, Velazquez AMV, Alfaro-Nunez A, Campos PF, Petersen B, Sicheritz-Ponten T, Pas A, Bailey T, Scofield P, Bunce M, Lambert DM, Zhou Q, Perelman P, Driskell AC, Shapiro B, Xiong ZJ, Zeng YL, Liu SP, Li ZY, Liu BH, Wu K, Xiao J, Yinqi X, Zheng QM, Zhang Y, Yang HM, Wang J, Smeds L, Rheindt FE, Braun M, Fjeldsa J, Orlando L, Barker FK, Jonsson KA, Johnson W, Koepfli KP, O'Brien S, Haussler D, Ryder OA, Rahbek C, Willerslev E, Graves GR, Glenn TC, McCormack J, Burt D, Ellegren H, Alstrom P, Edwards SV, Stamatakis A, Mindell DP, Cracraft J, Braun EL, Warnow T, Jun W, Gilbert MTP, Zhang GJ (2014) Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds. Science 346:1320–1331

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kamp L, Pasinelli G, Milanesi P, Drovetski SV, Kosinski Z, Kossenko S, Robles H, Schweizer M (2019) Significant Asia-Europe divergence in the middle spotted woodpecker (Aves, Picidae). Zoolog Scr 48:17–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katoh K, Misawa K, Kuma K, Miyata T (2002) MAFFT: a novel method for rapid multiple sequence alignment based on fast Fourier transform. Nucleic Acids Res 30:3059–3066

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kazmierczak K, Muzika Y (2012) A preliminary report on the apparent rediscovery of Sillem's Mountain Finch Leucosticte sillemi. Birding Asia 18:17–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirchman JJ, Witt CC, McGuire JA, Graves GR (2010) DNA from a 100-year-old holotype confirms the validity of a potentially extinct hummingbird species. Biol Let 6:112–115

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirschel ANG, Nwankwo EC, Gonzalez JCT (2018) Investigation of the status of the enigmatic White-chested Tinkerbird Pogoniulus makawai using molecular analysis of the type specimen. Ibis 160:673–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirwan GM (2004) Some remarks on the taxonomy of Nubian Nightjar Caprimulgus nubicus, with particular reference to C. n. jonesi Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes, 1899. Bull Afr Bird Club 11:117–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanfear R, Calcott B, Ho SYW, Guindon S (2012) Partition finder: combined selection of partitioning schemes and substitution models for phylogenetic analyses. Mol Biol Evol 29:1695–1701

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrie Y, Swann R, Stronach P, Perlman Y, Collinson JM (2017) The taxonomic position and breeding range of Golden Nightjar Caprimulgus eximius (Caprimulgidae). Ostrich 88:281–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leader PJ (2009) Is Vaurie’s Nightjar Caprimulgus centralasicus a valid species? Birding Asia 11:47–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Leigh JW, Bryant D (2015) POPART: full-feature software for haplotype network construction. Methods Ecol Evol 6:1110–1116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerner HRL, Meyer M, James HF, Hofreiter M, Fleischer RC (2011) Multilocus resolution of phylogeny and timescale in the extant adaptive radiation of hawaiian honeycreepers. Curr Biol 21:1838–1844

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li XL, Dong F, Lei FM, Alström P, Zhang RY, Odeen A, Fjeldså J, Ericson PGP, Zou FS, Yang XJ (2016) Shaped by uneven Pleistocene climate: mitochondrial phylogeographic pattern and population history of white wagtail Motacilla alba (Aves: Passeriformes). J Avian Biol 47:263–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ludlow F, Kinnear NB (1933) A contribution to the ornithology of Chinese Turkestan, part 3. Ibis 75:658–694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayr G (2011) Metaves, Mirandornithes, Strisores and other novelties—a critical review of the higher-level phylogeny of neornithine birds. J Zool Syst Evol Res 49:58–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy EM (2006) Handbook of avian hybrids. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Morony JJ, Bock WJ, Farrand J (1975) Reference list of the birds of the world. American Museum of Natural History, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Nabholz B, Lanfear R, Fuchs J (2016) Body mass-corrected molecular rate for bird mitochondrial DNA. Mol Ecol 25:4438–4449

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olson SL (1986) An early account of some birds from Mauke, Cook Islands, and the origin of the “Mysterious Starling” Aplonis mavornata Buller. Notornis 33:197–2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsson U, Leader PJ, Carey GJ, Khan AA, Svensson L, Alstrom P (2013) New insights into the intricate taxonomy and phylogeny of the Sylvia curruca complex. Mol Phylogenet Evol 67:72–85

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ottenburghs J, Kraus RHS, van Hooft P, van Wieren SE, Ydenberg RC, Prins HHT (2017) Avian introgression in the genomic era. Avian Res 2017:8

    Google Scholar 

  • Ottenburghs J, Ydenberg RC, Van Hooft P, Van Wieren SE, Prins HHT (2015) The Avian Hybrids Project: gathering the scientific literature on avian hybridization. Ibis 157:892–894

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pavlova A, Zink RM, Drovetski SV, Rohwer S (2008) Pleistocene evolution of closely related sand martins Riparia riparia and R. diluta. Mol Phylogenet Evol 48:61–73

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pelzeln A von (1871) Zur Ornithologie Brasiliens. Resultate von Johann Natterers Reisen in den Jahren 1817 bis 1835. A. Pichler’s Witwe & Sohn, Wien

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Perez-Eman JL, Ferreira JP, Gutierrez-Pinto N, Cuervo AM, Cespedes LN, Witt CC, Cadena CD (2018) An extinct hummingbird species that never was: a cautionary tale about sampling issues in molecular phylogenetics. Zootaxa 4442:491–497

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prum RO, Berv JS, Dornburg A, Field DJ, Townsend JP, Lemmon EM, Lemmon AR (2015) A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing. Nature 526:569–573

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quillfeldt P (2017) Body mass is less important than bird order in determining the molecular rate for bird mitochondrial DNA. Mol Ecol 26:2426–2429

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rambaut A (2008) FigTree 1.4, published by the author

  • Rambaut A, Suchard MA, Drummond AJ (2013) Tracer v 1.6. https://tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/software/tracer/

  • Round PD, Hansson B, Pearson DJ, Kennerley PR, Bensch S (2007) Lost and found: the enigmatic large-billed reed warbler Acrocephalus orinus rediscovered after 139 years. J Avian Biol 38:133–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozen S, Skaletsky HJ (2000) Primer3 on the WWW for general users and for biologist programmers. In: Krawetz S, Misener S (eds) Bioinformatics methods and protocols: methods in molecular biology. Humana Press, Totowa, pp 365–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Safford RJ, Ash JS, Duckworth JW, Telfer MG, Zewdie C (1995) A new species of nightjar from Ethiopia. Ibis 137:301–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sangster G, Roselaar CS, Irestedt M, Ericson PGP (2016) Sillem's Mountain Finch Leucosticte sillemi is a valid species of rosefinch (Carpodacus, Fringillidae). Ibis 158:184–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schweizer M, Liu Y, Olsson U, Shirihai H, Huang Q, Leader PJ, Copete JL, Kirwan GM, Chen GL, Svensson L (2018) Contrasting patterns of diversification in two sister species of martins (Aves: Hirundinidae): the sand Martin Riparia riparia and the Pale Martin R. diluta. Mol Phylogenet Evol 125:116–126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schweizer M, Shirihai H (2013) Phylogeny of the Oenanthe lugens complex (Aves, Muscicapidae: Saxicolinae): paraphyly of a morphologically cohesive group within a recent radiation of open-habitat chats. Mol Phylogenet Evol 69:450–461

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scordato ESC, Smith CCR, Semenov GA, Liu Y, Wilkins MR, Liang W, Rubtsov A, Sundev G, Koyama K, Turbek SP, Wunder MB, Stricker CA, Safran RJ (2020) Migratory divides coincide with reproductive barriers across replicated avian hybrid zones above the Tibetan Plateau. Ecol Lett 23:231–241

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scully J (1876) A contribution to the ornithology of eastern Turkestan. Stray Feathers 4:41–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Svensson L, Prys-Jones R, Rasmussen PC, Olsson U (2008) Discovery of ten new specimens of large-billed reed warbler Acrocephalus orinus, and new insights into its distributional range. J Avian Biol 39:605–610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Timmins RJ, Mostafawi N, Madad Rajabi A, Noori H, Ostrowski S, Olsson U, Svensson L, Poole CM (2009) The discovery of Large-billed reed warblers Acrocephalus orinus in north-eastern Afghanistan. Birding Asia 12:42–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobias JA, Seddon N, Spottiswoode CN, Pilgrim JD, Fishpool LDC, Collar NJ (2010) Quantitative criteria for species delimitation. Ibis 152:724–746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaurie C (1960) Systematic notes on Palearctic birds. No. 39. Caprimulgidae: a new species of Caprimulgus. Amer Mus Novit 1985:1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaurie C (1965) The birds of the Palearctic fauna. Non Passeriformes. Witherby Ltd., London

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitney BM, Pacheco JF, Fonseca PSM, Webster RE, Kirwan GM, Mazar Barnett J (2003) Reassignment of Chordeiles vielliardi Lencioni-Neto, 1994, to Nyctiprogne Bonaparte, 1857, with comments on the latter genus and some presumably related chordeilines (Caprimulgidae). Bull Br Ornithol Club 123:103–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Zink RM, Pavlova A, Drovetski S, Wink M, Rohwer S (2009) Taxonomic status and evolutionary history of the Saxicola torquata complex. Mol Phylogenet Evol 52:769–773

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the curators at NHUMK (especially Mark Adams and Hein van Grouw) for permitting access to the type specimen of C. centralasicus on multiple occasions, as well as other material in that fine collection. We are further indebted to Mark Adams for providing many samples of relevant Caprimulgus specimens held at NHMUK for this study. Moreover, we are grateful to Frank Steinheimer and Hans Altner of the Central Repository of Natural Science Collections, Halle University (ZNS), for providing information concerning and measurements of their Mongolian specimens of C. europaeus plumipes. Others who sent information concerning specimens were Ulf Johansson, Sergei V. Drovetski and John Klicka. Martin Collinson kept us informed concerning his and his co-authors ongoing work into the identity of Caprimulgus solala. We moreover thank Liviu Parau and an anonymous reviewer for their useful comments on the submitted manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manuel Schweizer.

Additional information

Communicated by M. Wink.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Adults of the relevant subspecies of C. europaeus and other caprimulgid species of potential relevance are considered diagnosable using the following features according to Cleere (1998, with additional or contradictory information from Holyoak (2001) in square brackets).

Caprimulgus europaeus meridionalis is said to be generally smaller and paler, more silvery-grey [marginally more greyish above and slightly less buffy below], and with slightly larger white spots on pp8–10 compared to C. e. europaeus. Variation seemingly clinal with a tendency for smaller and paler birds towards the east.

Caprimulgus europaeus unwini is described as being paler, greyer and plainer than C. e. europaeus, more narrowly streaked blackish brown above, an occasionally whiter hindneck collar [not mentioned by Holyoak], often larger white [more conspicuous and whiter] patches on the lower throat-sides, unmarked or sparsely barred undertail-coverts, and males often possess larger white spots on the outermost three primaries, which often extend across the outer webs of p8 and p9 unlike C. e. europaeus.

Caprimulgus europaeus plumipes is considered to be paler and sandier than C. e. europaeus, largely sandy-buff or cinnamon-buff [less greyish, with a warmer, more cinnamon-buff ground colour than C. e. unwini], with buffish-spotted tertials, median wing-coverts and breast feathers, broadly buff- or white-fringed outer webs to the scapulars [narrower dark bars on the tail, virtually absent on the central pair of rectrices], more fully-feathered [or heavily-feathered] tarsi, and the male again has larger white spots on the outermost three primaries.

Caprimulgus europaeus dementievi (no specimens examined by us, but is said to breed in northeast Mongolia and southern Transbaikalia) is another pale race, being greyer and more heavily vermiculated than both C. e. unwini and C. e. plumipes [and ground colour of underparts more ‘yellowish-loam’ than in the former]. This subspecies was not recognised by Vaurie (1965), who subsumed it within C. e. plumipes, but C. e. dementievi is usually upheld by other authorities (Cleere 1998; Holyoak; 2001; Dickinson and Remsen 2013; del Hoyo and Collar 2014).

Caprimulgus europaeus sarudnyi (no specimens examined by us, but said to breed north of the range of C. e. unwini and south of the range of the nominate form between the Caspian Sea and the Tarbatgatay as well as Altay ranges) is reportedly a very variable subspecies in size and colour [somewhat intermediate between nominate and C. e. unwini, but with large white spots on pp8–10 as the latter] probably due to intergradation with C. e. meridionalis in the west, C. e. plumipes in the east, the nominate form in the north and C. e. unwini in the south.

Caprimulgusaegyptius is a medium-large, overall rather uniform sandy-grey [or buffy] nightjar, with bold buff [or cinnamon-buff] spots on the wing-coverts and blackish-brown ones on the scapulars, an indistinct buff nuchal collar, a white throat patch and a buffish-white submoustachial stripe. Males show almost no white in the wings in flight (just a white spot on pp8–10) but narrow whitish [ill-defined pale] tips to the outermost two pairs of rectrices, whereas females show even less white close to the wingtip in the outermost primaries, and buffier and smaller pale tips to the outer rectrices [alternatively considered indistinguishable from males].

Caprimulgus mahrattensis is a medium-small, also rather uniform sandy-grey caprimulgid, with boldly buff-spotted wing-coverts (some spots paler, others richer [cinnamon]-coloured) and blackish-brown spots on scapulars, an indistinct buffish [pale cinnamon] hindneck collar, whitish submoustachial stripe and white throat patch. The principal difference between this species and C. aegyptius are the wing and tail patterns, with males displaying a broad white band close to the wingtip across the outermost three [four] primaries and large white tips to the two outermost pairs of rectrices, whereas females also possess a pale band on the wingtip [covering pp8–10] and smaller, buffish-white [cinnamon-white] tips to the outer tail feathers.

Caprimulgus nubicus is a relatively small-bodied nightjar, predominantly greyish or buffish, with lightly buff-spotted wing-coverts and scapulars (heavily spotted tawny and buff in some subspecies), a white throat patch and a broad tawny-buff [cinnamon to rufous] nuchal collar. Males possess large white spots close to the wingtip on the outermost four primaries and broad white tips to the two outermost pairs of rectrices; the areas of white on both the wings and tail are smaller in females. Of the species other than C. europaeus, this is the only one to show substantial geographical variation in morphology (Cleere 1998; Holyoak 2001; Kirwan 2004).

Appendix 2

Specimens specifically measured for this study (identification generally based on original attribution), all held at the Natural History Museum, Tring. Additional material examined, but for which no biometrics were taken for this study, is not listed.


Caprimulgus europaeus unwini: male, NHMUK 1887.8.1.672 (holotype); male, NHMUK 1887.8.1.673 (syntype); male, NHMUK 1934.1.1.3230; male, NHMUK 1934.1.1.3229; male, NHMUK 1887.8.1.678; male, NHMUK 1901.2.22.365; male, NHMUK 1951.27.6; male, NHMUK 1887.8.1.675; male, NHMUK 1965-M.5336; male, NHMUK 1882.4.1.71, female, NHMUK 1897.12.10.1897; female, NHMUK 1887.8.1.674; female, NHMUK 1887.8.1.663; female, NHMUK 1890.3.8.139; female, NHMUK 1874.11.23.200; female, NHMUK 1975.10.54; female, NHMUK 1923.12.23.59; female, NHMUK 1887.8.1.670; female, NHMUK 1965-M.5334; female, NHMUK 1887.8.1.678; male, NHMUK 1915.12.24.2068; female, NHMUK 1946.5.359; female, NHMUK 1887.8.1.671.


Caprimulgus europaeus plumipes: male, NHMUK 1951.27.5; female, NHMUK 1887.8.1.968; female, NHMUK 1898.12.2.398; female, NHMUK 1896.4.17.4; female, NHMUK 1887.8.1.660.


Caprimulgus centralasicus: female, NHMUK 1931.7.8.256.


Caprimulgus mahrattensis: male, NHMUK 1985.2.11; female, NHMUK 1949.25.1058; male, NHMUK 1949.25.1062; male, NHMUK 1965M.5352; female, NHMUK 1948.19.134; female, NHMUK 1949.25.1063; female, NHMUK 1898.12.12.376; female, NHMUK 1941.5.30.8243; male, NHMUK 1941.5.30.8241; male, NHMUK 1949.25.1065; male, NHMUK 1949.25.1060; male, NHMUK 1949.25.1061; female, NHMUK 1925.12.23.660; female, NHMUK 1887.8.1.688; male, NHMUK 1887.8.1.736; male, NHMUK 1925.12.23.663.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Schweizer, M., Etzbauer, C., Shirihai, H. et al. A molecular analysis of the mysterious Vaurie’s Nightjar Caprimulgus centralasicus yields fresh insight into its taxonomic status. J Ornithol 161, 635–650 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-020-01767-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-020-01767-8

Keywords

Navigation