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Wild Files > Animalia > Chordata > Vertebrates > Aves > Caprimulgiformes > Steatornithidae

Steatornithidae - the oilbird

oilbirdThe Steatornithidae family includes only one species, the oilbird. The oilbird is a large, slim bird with a hooked bill surrounded by whiskers. It is found in South America and in Trinidad. Unlike other birds in the Caprimulgiformes order, the oilbird eats plants. It is nocturnal and it lives in forested areas. It spends the day in caves and, like bats, it uses echolocation to find its way around in the dark!