Oilbird | Steatornithidae

Vetzwaluw | Guácharo

The Oilbird (Steatornis caripensis) is the only member of the family: a large, rufous-brown bird with white, black-edged spots, a wingspan of about one metre and a long, graduated tail. The bill is strong and sharply hooked, surrounded by long bristles, and the eyes are large and dark. By day the birds sit packed together on ledges in caves; at dusk they fly out to look for fruit of palms, laurels and other trees, which they pluck while hovering and probably locate partly by smell. Inside the cave they orient themselves with short clicks that are audible to people, and when disturbed they give loud, harsh screams. The nest is a cone-shaped mound of regurgitated fruit remains on a ledge, used over many years. The young are fed on oily fruit and grow heavier than the adults. In the region the species lives only on Trinidad, in caves in the Northern Range and in sea caves along the coast.