Key information
Nightjars are nocturnal birds and can be seen hawking for food at dusk and dawn. With pointed wings and a long tails their shape is similar to a kestrel or cuckoo. Their cryptic, grey-brown, mottled, streaked and barred plumage provides ideal camouflage in the daytime.
They have an almost supernatural reputation with their silent flight and their mythical ability to steal milk from goats. The first indication that a nightjar is near is usually the male's churring song, rising and falling with a ventriloquial quality.
What they eat:
Insects - moths and beetles.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 26-28cm
- Wingspan:
- 57-64cm
- Weight:
- 65-100g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 4,600 males
Identifying features:
Nightjar
