Caprimulgus europaeus
A ghostly, nocturnal bird of heathland, best known by its churring call.
Size: 26-28 cm | Habitat: Farmland & Countryside Birds | Season: Summer visitor
Almost impossible to spot by day thanks to its bark-like, mottled camouflage, the nightjar becomes active at dusk, hawking for moths on silent, pointed wings. Its long, mechanical "churring" song, held for minutes at a time, is one of the eeriest sounds of a summer heath at night.
Mottled grey-brown, bark-like plumage · long, pointed wings and tail · tiny bill but a huge gape · flies with silent, moth-like wingbeats
Nightjars roost motionless on the ground or along a branch by day, relying on camouflage, and hunt moths and other flying insects at dusk and through the night over heathland and recently felled woodland.
A nightjar's mouth opens far wider than its tiny bill suggests, forming a huge gape fringed with bristles that helps it scoop moths out of the air like a net.
The Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) is a ghostly, nocturnal summer visitor with bark-like, mottled camouflage that makes it almost invisible by day, becoming active at dusk to hawk for moths on silent, pointed wings.
Nightjars nest and roost on the ground on heathland and recently felled woodland, relying entirely on camouflage for protection. Their extraordinary "churring" song, held for minutes at a time, is one of the most distinctive sounds of a summer heath after dark.
Nightjar numbers crashed by over half between 1972 and 1992 as lowland heathland was lost to development, forestry, and neglect, but sustained habitat restoration work has since helped the species recover strongly, with numbers on RSPB reserves reaching record highs in recent years.
🟠 Conservation status: Amber (UK Birds of Conservation Concern 5)
Amber-listed under BoCC5 — moved up from the Red List as sustained heathland restoration work helped the species recover from a serious decline in the late 20th century.