This data set includes measurements of porphyrin-based pink fluorescence on the under-side of the wings of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis). Data on date of capture, sex, age, extent of white plumage patches, and physical condition of each individual are also included in the data set. Fieldwork was carried out between 17 May and 16 September 2016 in a protected area of the Doñana Natural Park (Spain). Nightjars were captured during the night (1-6 h after sunset) along a 24-km road transect using a butterfly net, measured for standard morphological traits and photographed under standardized conditions using both white and ultraviolet lighting. Measurements of pink fluorescence and extent of the white patches were subsequently extracted from digital photographs.

Data set supporting the results of the article "Correlates of individual variation in the porphyrin-based fluorescence of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis)", published in Scientific Reports (2019). The readme file contains information about the header cells in the datasets. Questions should be addressed to Carlos Camacho (ccamacholmedo@gmail.com). This data set is subjected to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.

Peer reviewed