Barred Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles bennettii) [XC558574]
by Iain Woxvold from Right May (Abei) River, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea (call, calls)
Barred Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles bennettii) [XC582464]
by id from Waam, Wasur NP, Indonesia (song)
Subspecies
Was regarded as conspecific with Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) until the latter was discovered to occur in New Guinea within the range of present species, but the two are evidently close relatives. Subspecies affinis has sometimes been suggested to be a subspecies of Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus), but its uniformly sooty coloration and rounded wings leave little doubt that it belongs instead with present species. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest it may actually be better treated as a separate species.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
bennettii Salvadori & D'Albertis, 1875 - Southern coast of south-eastern New Guinea from R Koembe east to Milne Bay.
affinis Salvadori, 1875 - Arfak Mts in Vogelkop Peninsula (north-western New Guinea). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Allied Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles affinis).
wiedenfeldi Laubmann, 1914 - Northern New Guinea from R Idenburg to Holnicote Bay.
terborghi Diamond, 1967 - Karimui Basin in eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea.
plumiferus Ramsay, EP, 1883 - Fergusson I and Goodenough I (D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet