Probably the largest of the owlat-hightjar. Mainly brown or dark rufous, upperparts with few whitish spots or streakes and prominent lateral crown-stripes, throat white or buff, breast and belly boldly spotted whitish. Well defined brown morph and rufous morph, connected by intermediates. Little informations on juvenile. One described as being rufous morph.
Not Threatened.
Probably the largest of the owlat-hightjar. Mainly brown or dark rufous, upperparts with few whitish spots or streakes and prominent lateral crown-stripes, throat white or buff, breast and belly boldly spotted whitish. Well defined brown morph and rufous morph, connected by intermediates. Little informations on juvenile. One described as being rufous morph.
VOICE: Little known, trilled "owrr" notes and single or repeated squeaky "kee" notes reported, a "foh...foh.." call also described.
28-30 cm, 59-85 g
Taxonomy:
- Aegotheles insignis Salvadori, 1875, Hatam, Arfak Mountains, New Guinea. Perhaps forms superspecies with A. crinifrons and A. tatei; latter until recently treated as conspecific with present species, but studies suggest that it should be afforded specific rank (see page 253). Birds of SE New Guinea formerly separated in race pulcher. Monotypic. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution:
- Mountains from Vogelkop to SE New Guinea.
Llive in various types of forests. Species in New Guinea range in rainforests, where rain throughout the year produces abundant growth. Owlet-nightjar species live in mountain forests, and in scrubland where there are fewer trees. Mainyl 115é_2800 m, ocassionaly up to 3000 m.
Eats insect, including beetles. Feeding behaviour has not beed described.
Season little known, birds in breeding conditions collected Apr,May, Aug and Sept.