In a lot of our favorite fantasy movies, there are fantastical animals in all sorts of bright colors who look so magical, and it’s hard not to wish they were actually real.
Luckily for us, there is a creature that appears to come right out of a fantasy movie in the form of a bird, and best of all, it is very much 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. It has a white throat band but has no white on its wings or on its tail.
The great eared nightjar is the largest species in the family in terms of length, which can range from 31 to 41 cm (12 to 16 in). Males weigh an average of 131 g (4.6 oz) and females weigh an average of 151 g (5.3 oz), making it the second heaviest species in the family after the nacunda nighthawk.
Like other nightjars they are active at dusk and at night. They roam the forests under the cover of darkness. Besides the way they look, something unique about them is that they make their nests on the forest floor, and their babies are well-camouflaged by all of the leaves.
Their clutch size is one egg and the egg is incubated by both parents. These birds are fairly common in their range and their population seems to be under no ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛ of ᴇɴᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴍᴇɴᴛ.
They feed on insects and are capable of catching their ᴘʀᴇʏ while in flight. Their calls are also quite distinct and act as a tool for identifying these birds. The great eared nightjar has strong wings, so it can be assumed they have a fast flight as well. Additionally, they capture their ᴘʀᴇʏ while in flight, which further proves their efficiency. Their flight is described as being silent and gliding.
