Common Pauraque

Nyctidromus albicollis
The Common Pauraque lives along the Pacific and Gulf coasts of mainland Mexico, and south through much of northern South America. Only in south Texas will you find these birds in the USA. These birds remain on their territory all year and do not migrate.
Today, science recognises six subspecies of Common Pauraque:
- N. a. merrilli lives in the lower Rio Grande Valley and the southern Gulf Coast of Texas south to central Tamaulipas.
- N. a. yucatanensis lives in Sinaloa south along the Pacific coast and southern Tamaulipas south along the Gulf Coast, including on the Yucatan Peninsula, to Central America.
- N. a. insularis lives on Tres Marías Island off Sinaloa (Mexico).
- N. a. albicollis lives in Guatemala and Honduras south to Peru and northern Brazil, and on Trinidad.
- N. a. gilvus lives in Panama and in northern Colombia.
- N. a. derbyanus lives in central Brazil, south to eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
Their piercing cries heard at night are unforgettable once you have heard them. During daylight hours, these birds will roost under low-hanging branches among leaf litter. There, they rely on their cryptic feathering for camouflage. It is surprisingly effective. While visiting Estero Llano Grande State Park in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (Texas), I met these birds roosting in leaf litter under some trees. So well camouflaged they were, had it not been for the kindness of strangers pointing them out, I’d have passed by only eight feet from them without notice.
9 Photos

Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: Had it not been for the kindness of strangers, I would have passed by these cryptic birds roosting among the leaf litter in the underbrush. I spent Friday exploring a jewel of birding in south Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park. I couldn’t visit this place last spring because of the pandemic. It is a wonderful place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:22 11:42 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X4014-EsteroLlano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: Had it not been for the kindness of strangers, I would have passed by these cryptic birds roosting among the leaf litter in the underbrush. I spent Friday exploring a jewel of birding in south Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park. I couldn’t visit this place last spring because of the pandemic. It is a wonderful place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:22 11:45 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X4034-EsteroLlano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: Had it not been for the kindness of strangers, I would have passed by these cryptic birds roosting among the leaf litter in the underbrush. I spent Friday exploring a jewel of birding in south Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park. I couldn’t visit this place last spring because of the pandemic. It is a wonderful place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:22 12:37 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X4263-EsteroLlano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: Had it not been for the kindness of strangers, I would have passed by these cryptic birds roosting among the leaf litter in the underbrush. I spent Friday exploring a jewel of birding in south Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park. I couldn’t visit this place last spring because of the pandemic. It is a wonderful place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:22 13:21 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/500 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X4306-EsteroLlano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: Had it not been for the kindness of strangers, I would have passed by these cryptic birds roosting among the leaf litter in the underbrush. I spent Friday exploring a jewel of birding in south Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park. I couldn’t visit this place last spring because of the pandemic. It is a wonderful place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:22 13:22 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/500 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X4309-EsteroLlano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: If not for the kindness of strangers pointing them out, I would have missed seeing these highly cryptic birds roosting in the leaf litter. This Wednesday tour of Estero Llano Grande State Park was only my second visit here. My first visit was on foot, but this day I rode my bike and explored a much wider area. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:24 16:20 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X5338-Estero_Llano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: If not for the kindness of strangers pointing them out, I would have missed seeing these highly cryptic birds roosting in the leaf litter. This Wednesday tour of Estero Llano Grande State Park was only my second visit here. My first visit was on foot, but this day I rode my bike and explored a much wider area. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:24 15:46 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X5275-Estero_Llano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: If not for the kindness of strangers pointing them out, I would have missed seeing these highly cryptic birds roosting in the leaf litter. This Wednesday tour of Estero Llano Grande State Park was only my second visit here. My first visit was on foot, but this day I rode my bike and explored a much wider area. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:24 16:02 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X5306-Estero_Llano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Common Pauraque(Nyctidromus albicollis) |
Description: If not for the kindness of strangers pointing them out, I would have missed seeing these highly cryptic birds roosting in the leaf litter. This Wednesday tour of Estero Llano Grande State Park was only my second visit here. My first visit was on foot, but this day I rode my bike and explored a much wider area. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:24 15:42 |
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: CommonPauraque_D5X5264-Estero_Llano |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

Click map markers to reveal further information