A review of Afrotropical nightjar mortality, mainly road kills

Afrotropical nightjars have evolved a number of adaptations that enable them to cope well with various natural mortality factors facing them. They are, however, extremely vulnerable to the many human factors that affect their lives. Three areas of human activity are of major concern: road traffic, habitat destruction and food gathering. Suitable legislation, with strict enforcement, should ensure that nightjar populations are not harvested excessively for the table. The many National Parks, Game Reserves and other protected areas throughout the Afrotropics should ensure that sufficient breeding and feeding habitats are available for the various nightjar species. There does not appear to be a solution to the road traffic problem, so road kills will almost certainly be the major mortality factor affecting most adult nightjars. A subjective assessment was made of the road mortality suffered by each species. The forest species (Brown Nightjar, Veles binotatus, Bates's Nightjar, Caprimulgus batesi and Prigogine's Nightjar, C. prigoginei) appear to be unaffected. The level of road mortality was rated as very low for Swamp Nightjar, C. natalensis, Nechisar Nightjar, C. solala, Golden Nightjar, C. eximius and Egyptian Nightjar, C. aetfvptius; as low for Montane Nightjar, C. poliocephalus, Slender-tailed Nightjar, C. clarus, Star-spotted Nightjar, C. stellatush and Red-necked Nightjar, C. ruficollis; as moderate for Fiery-necked (Pectoral) Nightjar, C. pectoralis, Donaldson-Smith's Nightjar, C. donaldsoni, Dark Nightjar, C. fraenatus and Nubian Nightjar, C. nubicus; as high for Freckled Nightjar, C. tristigma, Rufous-cheeked Nightjar, C. rufigena, Plain Nightjar, C. inornatus and Standard-winged Nightjar, Macrodipteryx longipennis; and as very high for Long-tailed Nightjar, C. climacurus, Square-tailed Nightjar, C. fossii, European Nightjar, C. europaeus and Pennant-winged Nightjar, Semeiophorus vexillarius. Throughout the Afrotropical Region nightjars die on the roads in great numbers and for some species the road toll is a major mortality factor.