Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Rufous Nightjar (Antrostomus rufus) [XC336726]
by Breno Dias Vitorino from Tacuaruz\u00fa, Misi\u00f3nes, Argentina (song)
Rufous Nightjar (Antrostomus rufus) [XC387948]
by Niels Krabbe from Porto Estrela, Mato Grosso, Brazil (song)
Subspecies
Caprimulgus otiosus (Stotz 1996) has been lumped into Caprimulgus rufus following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993) and AOU (1998). Note that this taxon was treated as a species in Collar and Andrew (1988) but not subsequently.
May form superspecies with Chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis), with which has even been considered conspecific, but differs notably in both voice and morphology. Subspecies otiosus has been considered a distinct species, on the basis of supposed sympatric breeding in northern Venezuela. However, presence of this subspecies in Venezuela now seems rather unlikely, as the relevant specimens were in poor condition and anyway do not appear to have matched otiosus well. Also, differences from other subspecies in vocalizations and plumage are minimal and do not appear to justify this split. Subspecies minimus has also been considered a separate species, but again differences appear insufficient. Subspecies saltarius initially thought to belong to Silky-tailed Nightjar (Antrostomus sericocaudatus); subsequently found to be closer to present species, but thought to occur sympatrically with rutilus and so raised to full species status. However, voice and morphometrics convincingly show it to belong within present species, where it is sometimes synonymized with rutilus, being considered merely a grey plumage morph. Subspecies rutilus includes proposed forms ornatus and cortapau; nominate rufus includes proposed subspecies noctivigularis. Recent sight records of present species from central Colombia, southern Ecuador, Peru and central Brazil not yet subspecifically assigned. Some of these may refer to as yet undescribed subspecies.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
minimus (Griscom & Greenway, 1937) - Southern Costa Rica to northern Colombia, northern Venezuela and north-western Trinidad (including Bocas Is).
otiosus Bangs, 1911 - North-eastern St Lucia in Lesser Antilles. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, St. Lucia Nightjar (Caprimulgus otiosus).
rufus (Boddaert, 1783) - Southern Venezuela east through the Guianas and north-central Brazil.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet