# Oilbird (*Steatornis caripensis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/oilbird  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The oilbird (Steatornis caripensis) is a bird in the family Steatornithidae and the order Steatornithiformes. It is a small, sedentary frugivore of forest habitat with a perching lifestyle, and adults weigh 408 g, with a highest reported value of 412.8 g. It lays one clutch per year of 2.9 eggs, which are incubated for 33.5 days, and its lifespan is up to 12 years. The IUCN Red List assesses the oilbird as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category, and its geographic range covers 1,057,000 km².

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 408 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | up to 12 years |
| Diet | Frugivore |
| Main food | fruits |
| Habitat | forest |
| Egg incubation | 33.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.8 – 2.9 |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Perching |
| Migration | Sedentary |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Steatornithiformes
- family: Steatornithidae
- genus: Steatornis
- species: *Steatornis caripensis* von Humboldt, 1817

Synonyms: *Steatornis caripennis*, *Steatornis carpensis*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the oilbird?

The oilbird is a bird in the family Steatornithidae, order Steatornithiformes.

### How heavy is the oilbird?

Adult Oilbirds weigh 408 g, with a highest reported value of 412.8 g.

### What does the oilbird eat?

The oilbird is a frugivore, placing it at the herbivore trophic level.

### Is the oilbird endangered?

No. The oilbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does the oilbird live?

The oilbird lives up to 12 years.

### How many eggs does the oilbird lay?

The oilbird lays 2.9 eggs per clutch and one clutch per year, with an incubation period of 33.5 days.

### Who named the oilbird?

The oilbird was named Steatornis caripensis by von Humboldt, 1817.

### What habitat does the oilbird live in?

The oilbird lives in forest habitat and is sedentary.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Oilbird (Steatornis caripensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/oilbird