The Pennant-winged Nightjar Macrodipteryx vexillarius (Caprimulgidae), its generic status, synonyms and types

摘要

The Pennant-winged Nightjar Macrodipteryx vexillarius is a distinctive, Afrotropical caprimulgid, which is currently treated as congeneric with another Afrotropical species, the Standard-winged Nightjar Macrodipteryx longipennis (Fry et al. 1988, Cleere 1998, 1999, Holyoak 2001). It is a monotypic species, despite having a breeding range covering much of southern Africa, and its taxonomy contains four synonyms, all of which are over 100 years old. As a result of literature and museum studies, the systematics and taxonomy of the Pennant-winged Nightjar are now reviewed, errors in the nomenclature are corrected and the type material identified and documented.