This rare nocturnal creature that can be found in parts of Southeast Asia looks like a fluffylittle dragon, but in fact, it’s a bird.

The great eared nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) is a kind of nocturnal bird that belongs to thefamily of Caprimulgidae. They can be found in the forests, scrublands, and grasslands ofSouthwest India and Southeast Asia. The species was first described in 1831 by an Irishzoologist based on an individual found in the Philippines.

What completely captivates people, though, is that this bird looks like a dragon straight outof a fantasy movie. This is mostly due to the small tufts of feathers on their heads that looklike tiny dragon horns.

Even though they may have the looks of a dragon, they reach considerably smaller sizes. Theaverage length of a great eared nightjar is between 12.2-15.7 inches (31–40 centimeters),and weighs around 4.4-5.3 oz (125–151 g). However, just like their lookalikes, these birds are efficient hunters with strong wings. They are even known to catch prey while silently glidingthrough the air. Their diet mostly includes insects, such as moths, termites, and beetles.

Other than their unique looks, there is something unusual about the way they nest on theforest floor. They use dead leaves to build their nests on the ground, which blends in to thesurrounding leaf litter. Even their chicks are perfectly camouflaged in all of the leaves.

Their call is quite distinctive as well. They give out a loud “bee-AHWEE” sound.

Luckily, great eared nightjar populations seem to be stable, and the International Union forConservation of Nature has marked the species as Least Concern. So, meeting one is totallypossible, but don’t expect it to breathe fire.

source: earthlymission.com