(Steatornis caripensis), the only species of the family Steatornithidae, order Caprimulgiformes. Body length, up to 55 cm. The plumage is chestnut brown with transverse color variations and light speckles. It is found in the mountains of northern South America and on the island of Trinidad.
The oilbird feeds at night; it finds its food, which consists of fruits of the palm and of laurel trees, apparently by using its sense of smell. It digests only the flesh of fruits, regurgitating the seeds. It nests in groups in caves, orienting itself in the dark by means of echolocation. It builds its nest from a mixture of regurgitated fruit pulp, seeds, and saliva. There are two to four eggs in a clutch. The nestlings remain in, the nest up to four months and become very fat.