Say Hello To The Great Eared Nightjar – The Dragon Bird Of Southeast Asia
The great eared nightjar is one of the most fascinating birds in the world, even if just because it looks like it’s straight out of a cartoon.
This bird that looks like a dragon doesn’t even really look much like a bird, until you look a little closer and you can see it’s covered with feathers. Dragon bird, as it’s often known, looks like it exists to bring fantasy worlds to life.
With their horns and tiny little beaks, these fluffy little monsters can’t get much cuter.
And while some people think they look scary and dangerous, we’re here to call their bluff. Just kidding. Nobody thinks they look scary and dangerous.
How Large Do These Fierce Looking Little Creatures Get?
The dragon bird is the largest in their whole family in terms of length, which ranges from 30 cm to 41 cm. All-told, they’re quite small for such an intimidating beast. The females are a bit heavier and larger than the males, and weigh in at 151 grams, where the male only weighs about 131 grams.
After the nacunda nighthawk (also in the Caprimulgidae family), they are the heaviest species in their family of birds.
Masters Of Disguise
There are a lot of exotic places that the bird that looks like dragon live. They’re most commonly found in Southeast Asia. The great eared nightjar also has populations in the Western Ghats, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, and Malaysia.
In these regions, the birds are masters of disguise. In fact, they not only hide themselves, but they also hide their babies in leaves. Camouflaged in the leaf litter, the chicks are usually on their own, because the clutch consists of a single egg.
These nocturnal birds feed on insects, beetles, and moths, and its soft plumage allows them to fly without making a sound.
Can I Own A Great Eared Nightjar?
This bird is currently on the amber list for endangered birds, meaning that it’s a species of concern for conservationists. So… no, you cannot own a great eared nightjar.
Let’s leave the birds to the wilderness. Especially the ones that look like little dragons and are at risk of being endangered!
Related:Zunzuncito is the world’s smallest bird, and possibly as cute as the great eared nightjar.
FAQs
Is great eared nightjar a dragon? ›
This rare nocturnal creature that can be found in parts of Southeast Asia looks like a fluffy little dragon, but in fact, it's a bird. The great eared nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) is a kind of nocturnal bird that belongs to the family of Caprimulgidae.
Is there really a dragon bird? ›This Fluffy Little Dragon Is Actually A Bird
Well, great eared nightjars look like they're straight out of a fantasy movie, and lucky for us, they're very real. Great eared nightjars are found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, and they're nocturnal, so they roam the forests under the cover of darkness.
Nightjars are nocturnal birds and can be seen hawking for food at dusk and dawn. With pointed wings and a long tails their shape is similar to a kestrel or cuckoo. Their cryptic, grey-brown, mottled, streaked and barred plumage provides ideal camouflage in the daytime.
Is great eared nightjar real? ›The great eared nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in southwest India and in parts of Southeast Asia. This very large nightjar has long barred wings, a barred tail and long ear-tufts which are often recumbent.
Are there nightjars in the US? ›North America hosts six species of regularly occurring nightjars: Buff-collared Nightjar, Common Pauraque (pronounced “pa-RAW-kee”), Common Poorwill, Chuck-will's-widow, and Eastern and Mexican Whip-poor-wills. (The single species formerly known as “Whip-poor-will” was split in two in July 2010.)
Is it legal to own a great eared nightjar in the US? ›Can I Own A Great Eared Nightjar? This bird is currently on the amber list for endangered birds, meaning that it's a species of concern for conservationists. So… no, you cannot own a great eared nightjar.