Savanna Nightjar

The savanna nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis), also known as allied nightjar or Franklin's nightjar, is a species of nightjar found in South and Southeast Asia. The IUCN Red List has assessed the species to be of least concern because it has a large range and its population trend is stable. As other nightjars, this nocturnal bird is characterised by its large eyes, gaping mouth and excellent camouflage. It can be distinguished from similar south Asian nightjar species, like the chirruping nightjar, by its unique vocalisations. == Taxonomy and systematics == The savanna nightjar belongs to the diverse family Caprimulgidae along with 89 other species, 39 of which share the genus Caprimulgus. Currently eight subspecies are recognized: C. a. monticolus, C. a. amoyensis, C. a. stictomus, C. a. affinis, C. a. kasuidori, C. a. timorensis, C. a. Propinquus and C. a. griseatus. A recent study on variation in vocalisations found significant differences between the northern (C. a. monticolus, C. a. amoyensis, C. a. stictomus), southern (C. a. affinis, C. a. kasuidori, C. a. timorensis and C. a. propinquus) and Philippine (C. a. griseatus) subspecies, suggesting they may represent three separate species. This proposal comes over 100 years after ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe…