[2] Some authors have contended that the binomial Macropsalis creagra bestowed by Bonaparte in 1850 is correct, but consensus now is that the specific epithet forcipata has priority.

[2] The male long-trained nightjar has extremely long outer tail feathers from which the species gets its name.

[3] The long-trained nightjar is found in southeastern Brazil from Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo south to Rio Grande do Sul and into Argentina's far northeasternmost province, Misiones.

Males make a courtship display on the ground by raising their tail in a conspicuous white "V".

Eggs are laid on the ground on leaf litter without a conventional nest; the site is often shaded by a bush.