Summer Occurency of Grey Nightjar Camprinulgusis Indicus Gotaka from Nal Sarovar Birds Sanctuary, Gujarat, India

Abstract: This study presents the first photographic record of the Grey Nightjar (Caprimulgus indicus jotaka) from Western India, documented at Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat. On 26 June 2021, two individuals were observed and photographed within the sanctuary’s eastern range, characterized by thorny scrub and dry deciduous forest. Distinctive morphological features, including rufous-spotted wing coverts, whitish buff markings, and dark grey tail, confirmed the identification and distinguished the species from the Large-tailed Nightjar (C. macrourus). Previous distribution records of the Grey Nightjar are limited to the Himalayas, Northeast India, Bangladesh, and parts of South and Southeast India, with no confirmed occurrences from western regions. Notably, this observation also represents an important summer occurrence record, raising the possibility of breeding activity in Gujarat, although nesting could not be confirmed due to dense vegetation. Along with earlier acoustic evidence from South Gujarat (Vansda National Park, 2018), this record extends the known range of the species into western and south-western India, adding valuable insights into its distribution and ecology.