Nightjar

 

The nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) is a rarely-seen bird, for a number of reasons. One of these is that it is a summer visitor to the UK from Africa, so is only present from May to September. Another reason is that it is nocturnal, and a third is that it is a master of disguise, with an ability to throw its voice a long way, making it hard to pinpoint the source.

Appearance

At 27 centimetres (10-11 inches) long, the nightjar is similar in size to the blackbird, but it has longish pointed wings and tail, looking not unlike a kestrel in flight. The plumage is grey with brown, black and cream mixed in. The males have white stripes on the wings and tail that the females lack. This plumage makes the nightjar difficult to see when it roosts lengthways on a tree branch during the day, as in the photo.

The head is broad and flat, with a tiny bill. However, the nightjar is able to open its mouth extremely wide. This is useful for two purposes; for displaying to intruders that it wants to warn off (together with spread wings and tail), and for feeding as it trawls the air for insects on the wing.

Behaviour

The nightjar’s preferred habitat is heathland and moorland, one of its regular breeding grounds being the New Forest in southern England, but open wooded areas are also popular. The birds become active as dusk falls, with the male birds making a distinctive “churring” sound, not unlike a high-pitched continuous telephone ringtone. As mentioned above, nightjars are not unlike ventriloquists in that this churring can carry a long way and be sent by the birds in all directions. During the night the birds feed on the wing, their regular food being moths and beetles.

As well as churring, the nightjar has a shrill “coo-ic” call that is used during flight, and the male courtship display includes clapping its wings together.

Breeding

Two eggs are laid on the ground in May or June and are incubated by both parents for up to 18 days. The young, which hatch looking like balls of fluff, stay in the nest for another 18 days, after which they move around the area close by, sheltering under vegetation and being fed by the parent birds for as long as a month. Family groups tend to stick together for a time after the youngsters have fledged.

Any creature that flies silently in the night, especially one with an eerie call, is bound to attract stories and an almost supernatural reputation. The nightjar is no exception as it is widely believed to suck milk from goats, although evidence for this is hard to come by.

The nightjar is a “red status” bird, although numbers in the UK appear to have risen in recent years from a very low base. 

© John Welford