Systematic notes on Asian birds. 41. Territorial songs and species-level taxonomy of nightjars of the Caprimulgus macrurus complex, with the description of a new species G. Sangster & F.G. Rozendaal Sangster, G. & F.G. Rozendaal. Systematic notes on Asian birds. 41. Territorial songs and species-level taxonomy of nightjars of the Caprimulgus macrurus complex, with the description of a new species. Zool. Verh. Leiden 350, 26.xi.2004: 7-00.— ISSN 0024-1652/ISBN 90-73239-95-8. George Sangster, Stevenshof 17, 2312 GM Leiden, The Netherlands. (e-mail:
[email protected]). Frank G. Rozendaal, Akker 113, 3732 XC De Bilt, The Netherlands. (e-mail:
[email protected]). Key words: Caprimulgus macrurus; species limits; taxonomy; geographic variation; vocalizations. The Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus Horsfield, 1821, complex, as currently recognized, comprises 12 taxa which are grouped into four species based on their territorial songs. However, species limits are based on very small samples of a limited number of taxa in the complex. To further document species limits in the complex, we analysed 109 sound recordings representing all recognized taxa. Principal components analysis suggests the existence of six vocally distinct groups within the complex. Discriminant function analysis assigned 98-100% of individuals correctly to their group. Each of these groups differs diagnosably from all other groups by up to eight vocal characters, and each group is recognizable by ear. We propose to treat these six groups as species based on multiple differences in territorial songs, the lack of intermediate vocal types, the concordance of the geographic distribution of vocal types and morphology-based taxonomic boundaries and the sympatry of two groups in northeastern peninsular India without signs of intergradation.