The Great Eared NightJar Looks Just Like A Fluffly Little Dragon And It’s Amazing

Say Hello To The Great Eared Nightjar – The Dragon Bird Of Southeast Asia

The great eared nightjar is one of the most fascinating birds in the world, even if just because it looks like it’s straight out of a cartoon.

This bird that looks like a dragon doesn’t even really look much like a bird, until you look a little closer and you can see it’s covered with feathers. Dragon bird, as it’s often known, looks like it exists to bring fantasy worlds to life.

With their horns and tiny little beaks, these fluffy little monsters can’t get much cuter.

Image: @harnsheng on Instagram

And while some people think they look scary and dangerous, we’re here to call their bluff. Just kidding. Nobody thinks they look scary and dangerous.

Image: @indianwildlifeofficial on instagram

The dragon bird is the largest in their whole family in terms of length, which ranges from 30 cm to 41 cm. All-told, they’re quite small for such an intimidating beast. The females are a bit heavier and larger than the males, and weigh in at 151 grams, where the male only weighs about 131 grams.

After the nacunda nighthawk (also in the Caprimulgidae family), they are the heaviest species in their family of birds.

Masters Of DisguiseImage: @harnsheng on Instagram

There are a lot of exotic places that the bird that looks like dragon live. They’re most commonly found in Southeast Asia. The great eared nightjar also has populations in the Western Ghats, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, and Malaysia.

In these regions, the birds are masters of disguise. In fact, they not only hide themselves, but they also hide their babies in leaves. Camouflaged in the leaf litter, the chicks are usually on their own, because the clutch consists of a single egg.

These nocturnal birds feed on insects, beetles, and moths, and its soft plumage allows them to fly without making a sound.

Can I Own A Great Eared Nightjar?Image: @nikon_northeast on Instagram

This bird is currently on the amber list for endangered birds, meaning that it’s a species of concern for conservationists. So… no, you cannot own a great eared nightjar.

Let’s leave the birds to the wilderness. Especially the ones that look like little dragons and are at risk of being endangered!

How Large Do These Fierce Looking Little Creatures Get?