page_title: Australian owlet-nightjar
section_title: Description and habitats
hierarchical_section_title: Australian owlet-nightjar / Description and habitats
caption_attribution_description: Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles chrisoptus) in nesting hollow, Castlereigh Nature Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
context_page_description: The Australian owlet-nightjar is a nocturnal bird found in open woodland across Australia and in southern New Guinea. It is colloquially known as the moth owl. It is the most common of the owlet-nightjars, and the best known of this secretive family. It is the most common nocturnal bird in Australia, and despite suffering from predation and competition by introduced species it is not considered threatened.
context_section_description: The Australian owlet-nightjar is a small to medium-sized owlet-nightjar with grey upperparts and a white, barred front and a distinct dark and pale patterning on the head. In the north of Australia females can also have a rufous morph. The plumage is overall paler in desert populations. It is adapted to live in open woodland, with more pointed wings and larger feet, unlike most of the rest of the family that live in dense forest (though some can and do live in such habitat in Queensland and New Guinea) . It lives in a variety of habitats as well as open woodland, including mangrove swamps, grasslands, mallee scrub as well as dense forest.
caption: Australian owlet-nightjar mainly nests in tree hollows.
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