Caprimulgus europaeus
The European Nightjar, a master of disguise, is a medium-sized (25-28 cm, wingspan 52-60 cm) nocturnal bird with exquisitely cryptic plumage of mottled greys, browns, rufous, and black, perfectly blending with bark or leaf litter. Its most distinctive field marks include its large, forward-facing eyes, incredibly wide gape despite a tiny bill, and the males' white patches near the wingtips and outer tail feathers, visible in flight. Taxonomically, it belongs to the family Caprimulgidae within...
Open heathland, young conifer plantations, clear-felled areas, and dry, open woodlands with scattered trees and bare ground patches. Primarily found at low to moderate elevations.
Strictly insectivorous, primarily consuming moths, beetles, caddisflies, and other flying insects caught in mid-air.
Strictly nocturnal and crepuscular, the European Nightjar spends its days perfectly camouflaged, roosting motionless on the ground or lengthways along a branch, becoming active only from dusk to dawn. It primarily forages by aerial hawking, swooping and twisting with agile, silent flight to catch...
The European Nightjar boasts a vast breeding range spanning across much of the Palearctic realm, from the Iberian Peninsula and the United Kingdom eastward through continental Europe, including Fennoscandia, Central Asia, and extending to Lake Baikal in Siberia. Northern populations can reach ele...
Least Concern
- The European Nightjar is famously known as the "Goatsucker" due to an ancient and incorrect belief that it sucked milk from goats at night. - It is one of the few bird species known to enter a state of torpor, a short-term hibernation, to conserve energy during cold spells or food scarcity. - I...