| Eleothreptus | |
|---|---|
| White-winged nightjar (Eleothreptus candicans) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family: | Caprimulgidae |
| Genus: | Eleothreptus Gray, GR, 1840 |
| Type species | |
| Amblypterus anomalus Gould, 1838 | |
Eleothreptus is a genus of South American nightjars in the nightjar family Caprimulgidae.
The genus Eleothreptus was introduced in 1840 by the English zoologist George Gray with Amblypterus anomalus Gould, 1838, the sickle-winged nightjar, as the type species. Eleothreptus was a replacement name for Amblypterus that had been used by Louis Agassiz in 1833 for a genus of fossil fishes. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ἑλεοθρεπτος/heleothreptos meaning "marsh-bred" from ἑλος/helos, ἑλεος/heleos meaning "marsh" and τρεφω/trephō meaning "to nourish".
The genus contains the following two species: