The ladder-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca) is a species of bird in the nightjar family Caprimulgidae. It is one of four species in the genus, Hydropsalis. It is found in the Amazon Basin of Brazil, the Guianas, Suriname, and also Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia; it is also in Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, rivers, and freshwater lakes.

This bird is highly camouflaged and has the colors of 'ground cover', as do most of the nightjars. The colors are broken with white patches, grays, both dark, and light, and some brown, especially around the neck and head. Many of the nightjar species also have the distraction display, which helps lead unwary predators farther distances from the nest, young, or eggs.

As a species that hunts airborne insects at night, it has large eyes and a large wide gape to allow this feeding strategy.

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