← Science & nature Science & nature · Advanced English

Hydropsalis

Genus of birds

1 min
estimated reading 2
complete sections 16.64
algorithmic grade estimate

Before you read

Use the article and the local dictionary together

The complexity label is calculated from sentence length and syllable estimates; it is guidance, not an assessment of you. Open any highlighted word below for its full local dictionary page.

Words
111
Native text
971 characters
Dictionary match
62%
Revision
1333165959 · 2026-01-16T02:52:35Z
Key vocabulary

Words to check before reading

nightjar5 uses in this article genus4 uses in this article species3 uses in this article South3 uses in this article meaning2 uses in this article Brazil2 uses in this article northeastern1 uses in this article southeastern1 uses in this article distributed1 uses in this article subtropical1 uses in this article considered1 uses in this article designated1 uses in this article introduced1 uses in this article naturalist1 uses in this article subspecies1 uses in this article adjacent1 uses in this article scissors1 uses in this article tropical1 uses in this article Ancient1 uses in this article central1 uses in this article

Overview

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.

Taxonomy

The genus Hydropsalis was introduced in 1832 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler. The type species was designated by George Robert Gray in 1855 as Caprimulgus furcifer Vieillot 1817. This taxon is now considered as a subspecies of the scissor-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata). The genus name combines the Ancient Greek hudro- meaning "water-" with psalis meaning "pair of scissors". The genus contains four species: * White-tailed nightjar, Hydropsalis cayennensis – Costa Rica through north South America * Ladder-tailed nightjar, Hydropsalis climacocerca – Amazonia * Scissor-tailed nightjar, Hydropsalis torquata – Amazonia and south Peru to south Brazil and central Argentina * Long-trained nightjar, Hydropsalis forcipata – southeastern Brazil and adjacent northeastern Argentina (Misiones)

Science & nature

Continue with related local reading

MAP3K1Advanced Places & Spaces: Mapping ScienceAdvanced Marine biogenic calcificationAdvanced Soda lakeAdvanced Institute of Physics Joseph Thomson Medal and PrizeAdvanced Masursky AwardAdvanced