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[[Image:CollaredNightjar.jpg]]

'''Common Name:''' Collared Nightjar<br>
'''Scientific Name:''' Gactornis enarratus

'''Size:''' 9.4 inches (24 cm); '''Wingspan:''' 25.2 inches (64 cm)

'''Habitat:''' Africa; it is endemic to North and East Madagascar.  

This nightjar is found in lowland primary forests which include dense, humid, evergreen forests and adjacent second-growth forests.  It can be seen occasionally in dry, deciduous forests and occurs from sea-level to 1880 m.

'''Status:''' Least Concern. '''Global population:''' Unknown adult individuals with a decreasing population trend. This nightjar is generally considered rare throughout much of range. This may be because it is usually secretive and difficult to observe, so possibly under-recorded and locally uncommon to fairly common in some regions. 

Threats include hunting by local people and loss of habitat as a result of deforestation

'''Diet:''' Nocturnal insects, including moths and termites. Forages in flight, hunting low over sandbars and beaches or higher up above rivers. Also feeds over open country, usually near rivers, and on insects attracted to artificial lights. Often forages in loose flocks.

'''Nesting:''' Sexes similar. The upper parts are grayish-brown and boldly spotted blackish-brown with the spots edged with chestnut. It has a broad rufous nuchal collar with thin, well defined buff band above.  The wing-coverts are gray-brown with boldly spotted black-brown; the spots are broadly edged chestnut or pale buff. The scapulars are grayish-brown and boldly spotted blackish-brown with chestnut edges. There is a tawny-buff band around lower throat and the underparts are  brown with a boldly spotted blackish-brown edged chestnut which becomes less spotted and more streaked on belly and flanks. Both sexes lack white markings on wings and have narrow white tips to one or two outermost tail feathers.  The iris is dark brown and the bill black or pink-gray with black tip. The legs and feet dark brown or pinkish-gray. 

It can breed from late September to early December, but usually in October and November. The nest site is usually at edge of forest track or clearing and is a “Scrape” nest with the eggs being laid on leaf litter or ferns on a tree stump. The clutch is usually 2 eggs which are glossy white and often lightly washed pinkish-brown.  The incubation period is not known.

Adults who are threatened at nest-site may give a defense display or injury-feigning display to distract predators..

'''Cool Facts:''' It was previously placed in the genus ''Caprimulgus'' and moved to ''Gactornis'' in 2014.

Alarm calls of adult at nest are repetitive, liquid “''kow''” or “''keeow''” notes; adult makes guttural hissing sounds during defense displays.  Chicks utter a soft “''chic''” notes.



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