Common Pauraques tend to nest most of the time near the trails. That's why. When walking on hiking trails in the rainforest you are always advised to watch where you are going. Not only to make sure that you stay on the right track but also to be safe. Roots and stumps are the usual obstacle and don't forget about resting snakes. But what you will also encounter are nesting Pauraques. When nightjars nest, they don't use nest materials. They just lay their egg on the ground and will sit on it until the egg had hatched. They have an excellent camouflage appearance by the way and a trick to lure you away from her egg.
When they notice that they are not alone, the nesting mother will suddenly fly away to the nearest dense bush. You will think that you had startled them and your curiosity had also been triggered. When they notice that you pay attention to them instead of their egg, they will fly away further but still in view. A neat trick. When they don't have their nest near a walking trail, like seen in the pictures, they will sit still for a long period of time. It seems that they are asleep but in reality they are fully aware of their surrounding. After I took these pictures I left the mother-to-be alone. No need to disturb her. Comments are closed.
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