Hydropsalis

Hydropsalis is a genus of nightjars in the family Caprimulgidae. The species are widely distributed across the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World.

Hydropsalis
Scissor-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Strisores
Order:	Caprimulgiformes
Family:	Caprimulgidae
Subfamily:	Caprimulginae
Genus:	Hydropsalis Wagler, 1832
Type species
Caprimulgus furcifer (scissor-tailed nightjar) Vieillot, 1817

Taxonomy

The genus Hydropsalis was introduced in 1832 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler.^[1] The type species was designated by George Robert Gray in 1855 as Caprimulgus furcifer Vieillot 1817.^[2][3] This taxon is now considered as a subspecies of the scissor-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata).^[4] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek hudro- meaning "water-" with psalis meaning "pair of scissors".^[5]

The genus contains four species:^[4]

• Ladder-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca)
• Scissor-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata)
• Spot-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis maculicaudus)
• White-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis cayennensis)

References

1. Wagler, Johann Georg (1832). "Neue Sippen und Gattungen der Säugthiere und Vögel". Isis von Oken (in German). 1832. cols 1218–1235 [1222].
2. Gray, George Robert (1855). Catalogue of the Genera and Subgenera of Birds Contained in the British Museum. London: British Museum. p. 11.
3. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1940). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 4. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 217.
4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Frogmouths, Oilbird, potoos, nightjars". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
5. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 197. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.