Caprimulgus ruficollis
The Red-necked Nightjar, *Caprimulgus ruficollis*, is the largest of the European nightjars, a master of nocturnal camouflage and aerial insect hunting. Measuring 29-32 cm in length with a wingspan of 60-65 cm and weighing 80-100 g, its plumage is a complex mosaic of mottled browns, greys, and black, perfectly blending with woodland leaf litter or tree bark. Distinctive field marks include a prominent rufous (reddish-brown) collar on its hindneck, a large flat-crowned head, and a short bill o...
Found primarily in open woodlands, pine and cork oak forests, scrubland, and heathland, favoring areas with sparse ground cover for nesting and open clearings for foraging. It occurs from sea level up to approximately 1500 meters in breeding areas.
Feeds almost exclusively on large nocturnal flying insects, including various moths, beetles (e.g., scarab beetles), crickets, grasshoppers, and occasionally ants or termites. It captures prey mid-flight using its wide gape.
A strictly crepuscular and nocturnal species, the Red-necked Nightjar spends its days perfectly camouflaged, roosting silently on the ground amidst leaf litter or horizontally along a tree branch. Its foraging strategy involves silent, moth-like flight as it hawks large nocturnal insects on the w...
The Red-necked Nightjar breeds primarily across the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and in Northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), with the main subspecies *Caprimulgus ruficollis ruficollis* inhabiting these regions. A second subspecies, *C. r. desertorum* (sometimes recognized ...
Least Concern
- The Red-necked Nightjar is often called a 'goatsucker,' stemming from an ancient myth that these birds sucked milk from goats, a misconception likely due to their habit of foraging near livestock. - It possesses specialized rictal bristles around its bill, which are thought to act like a net, e...