Ocellated Poorwill

How to find it

Plan around dusk, because the bird sleeps hidden by day and is nearly impossible to see then. Its loud calls at dusk are usually how people notice it is present, so listen for the repeated 'preeeo' trill. Forest trails are worth attention after dark, since the bird often rests on the ground there and nests beside them. Keep to the trail and avoid disturbing any nest. Treat it as a special extra rather than a target, as Costa Rican records come from poorly surveyed areas.

How to recognise it

This is a small, slim, dark nightjar about 20 cm long. Three marks help:

A broad white band across the lower throat.

White tips on the outer tail feathers.

White spots on the belly.

The belly spots have dark centres and look somewhat like eyes, which gives the bird its name. A rufous morph is paler and reddish brown instead of dark brown.

The Costa Rican and Nicaraguan form, lautus, is smaller than the South American form, and its white tail tips are narrower. The plumage is cryptic and blends with dead leaves and shaded soil on the forest floor, which is a big part of why the bird is so rarely seen.

What it sounds like

Recording: Douglas, CC BY 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

The Ocellated Poorwill is nocturnal and hides asleep by day, so it is nearly impossible to see then. It often rests on the ground on forest trails, and from there it makes short sallies after moths, beetles and cockroaches.

It nests on the ground, usually beside trails, in leaf litter and sometimes under overhanging foliage. Its cryptic plumage does the hiding work, blending with the dead leaves and shaded soil.

Where it lives

Across its range the species lives mostly in lowland forest with an open understory and small clearings. It has also been found in dense secondary forest, and records range from sea level up to about 1,350 m.

In Costa Rica the one known breeding population is in the far northwest of the Caribbean lowlands, near Brasilia, between Lake Nicaragua and the Guanacaste mountain range. Older Costa Rican records came only from Brasilia de Upala, in Alajuela province.

When to see it

The breeding season may fall in March and April in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The Guanacaste nest with eggs was photographed in late March and early April 2024.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

Costa Ricans call it Chotacabras Ocelado. In Nicaragua it is called pachacua ocelada or pocoyo ocelado. The name chotacabras comes from an old, mistaken belief that these birds suck milk from goats.

Status and conservation

The official Costa Rican bird list marks it R, a resident breeder, though the national status is still considered uncertain and the IUCN rates the species Least Concern across its range.