Common Pauraque

The Common Pauraque is a nonmigratory nightjar found in the United States only in the brushy woodlands of the far southern Texas Gulf Coast. Its plumage is an intricate mottled mix of brown, gray, and black, with rufous patches on the wings, providing outstanding camouflage among leaf litter by day. Males show conspicuous white patches in the outer tail feathers, most visible in flight or display. The species is most often encountered at night along quiet roads, where its eyes reflect a distinctive red glow in headlights, or heard giving its distinctive whistled call at dusk.

Key Field Marks

• Mottled brown-gray-black plumage with rufous patches on the wings
• Male: white patches in the outer tail feathers, conspicuous in flight
• Reflective red eyeshine at night, readily seen with a flashlight or headlights
• Distinctive, far-carrying whistled call: "wheer, wheer, whee-oo"

Similar Species

• Common Poorwill and Whip-poor-wills lack the rufous wing patches and have different calls.
• Common Nighthawk and Lesser Nighthawk have long, pointed wings and a distinctly different, erratic flight style, unlike the Pauraque's low, fluttering flight closer to the ground.

Habitat

Common Pauraques favor brushy woodland edges, thickets, and clearings near open ground, often along roadsides and trails where they forage and rest.

Range

In the United States, they are found only in the Rio Grande Valley of extreme southern Texas, with the species ranging much more broadly through Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Migration

Unlike many North American nightjars, the Common Pauraque is nonmigratory, remaining resident year-round throughout its range.

Behavior

Common Pauraques are nocturnal, resting motionless and camouflaged on the ground by day, often along the edge of brush, and becoming active to forage at dusk and through the night.

Voice

The distinctive call, often rendered as "wheer, wheer, whee-oo," is given repeatedly at dusk and through the night and is a hallmark sound of the Rio Grande Valley.

Feeding

They catch night-flying insects such as moths and beetles in low, fluttering sallies from the ground, and are frequently seen along quiet roads at night where insects gather.

Nesting

No nest is built; the female lays her eggs directly on the ground in leaf litter near brushy cover, relying on cryptic plumage for protection.