Sulawesi eared-nightjar

Description

Eurostopodus diabolicus is endemic to Sulawesi,Indonesia,where it is known from mountain ranges in the north and centre of the island (Riley and Wardill 2003),with unconfirmed records from the south (BirdLife International 2001) and a probable sighting in July 1996 and additional reports from 1995 from the adjacent island of Buton (Sykes 2009).Although it appears to be very thinly distributed and genuinely rare overall,it is locally not uncommon (though it appears to be very local in Lore Lindu [D.L.Yong in litt.2016]),and its nocturnal habits and associated difficulties in identification have probably led to it being overlooked.The extensive and largely unsurveyed upland areas of Sulawesi,covered by undisturbed or lightly disturbed forest,imply that the species could be more widespread than currently known (K.D.Bishop in litt.2012).It must have suffered from loss of habitat at lower altitudes,although its ability to utilise secondary habitats (Riley and Wardill 2003) and its recent discovery in montane forest suggests that it may be locally secure.