Caprimulgus aegyptius

The Egyptian Nightjar is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) because of the small size of the breeding population, estimated at less than 50 mature individuals. In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was classified as data deficient (DD). The change in the status of the species reflects the new discoveries regarding its nesting distribution in Israel and its potential population size.

Habitats	Desert Plains, Salt Marsh, Inland Sand Dunes
Presence In Israel	Summer Breeder
Nesting In Israel	Breeder
Migration Types	Short Range / Partial
Zoography Zones	Sudano-Zambezian
Landscape Formations	Plains & Valleys, Sand Dunes
Vegetation Densities	Low
Nest Locations	Ground
Diet Types	Invertebrate
Foraging Grounds	Aerial
Body Sizes	Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors	Pesticide Poisoning, Habitat Fragmentation

The Egyptian Nightjar has a sandy-colored, rather uniform plumage. It inhabits desert areas and is active at night, spending the day resting in the shade of a shrub or a fold in the ground. A relatively low-flying bird, occasionally jerking sharply to catch flying insects. It is quiet during most of the year, only sounding its high-pitched, chain-saw like song during the nesting season.

The Egyptian Nightjar is a very rare resident breeder in the southern Jordan Valley, and possibly in the northern Arava as well. Small numbers also pass over in autumn and spring migration, principally in the southern Negev and the Arava. Up to the mid-20th century, its breeding area was more extensive, and included the Coastal Plain. The last evidence of which was a chick collected near Pardes Hanna in 1947 (Merom 1960, Paz 1986, Shirihai 1996). Breeding in the Mediterranean area of Israel ceased by the 1960s , probably due to the extensive development of this entire region, as well as insecticide use in agriculture. Evidence of nesting in the desert region was recorded in the northern Arava in 1992 (Adi Ganz et al, pers. comm.), in the Sodom Basin in spring 2012 (Yoav Perlman, pers. comm.) and in 2016-2017 the species was found nesting in small numbers in sandy areas in the northern Dead Sea (Adi Ganz, Amir Ben Dov, unpublished data). The population in this area is apparently stable and comprises several tens of birds (a maximum of 20 individuals seen at a single observation).

The Egyptian Nightjar’s breeding and foraging areas in the southern Jordan Valley are threatened by development for military and agricultural uses.

No specific conservation measures have been taken for this species to date.

The Egyptian Nightjar has only recently been identified as a breeding species in Israel, after it was considered extinct for tens of years. The study of the breeding population is still in its early stages; however it seems that the population is very small and limited to specific habitats, some of which are in immediate danger of development.

• פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.

• Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
• Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
• Species page at Birdlife International