The Aegotheliformes are a small order of birds that includes only one family, the owlet-nightjars (Aegothelidae). There are about 10 living species found in Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, and nearby islands.

Owlet-nightjars are small, nocturnal (active at night) birds that look a little like both owls and nightjars. They have large eyes for seeing in the dark, soft feathers, short rounded wings, and long tails. Their mottled brown, gray, and black plumage helps them blend in with tree bark during the day.

These birds spend most of the daylight hours resting in tree cavities or dense vegetation. At night, they become active and hunt for insects and other small invertebrates. They usually catch prey by flying out from a perch and grabbing it in the air or from leaves and branches.

Owlet-nightjars nest in holes in trees. Both parents help care for the eggs and feed the chicks after they hatch. The young birds are born helpless and remain in the nest until they are old enough to fly.

Although they resemble owls and nightjars, owlet-nightjars belong to their own unique group of birds. Scientists believe they are one of the oldest surviving lineages of nocturnal birds.