Alternative name: Eurasian Nightjar
- Caprimulgus europaeus
Identification
24·5–28 cm (9½-11 in)
Male
- Plumage is heavily streaked with buff, chestnut and black
- Underparts are barred
- White spots on primaries and outer tail feathers
- Black bill
- Legs: reddish brown
Female similar, but lacks the white spots on wings and tail.
In the Juvenile these spots are buff.
Distribution
Widespread summer visitor to much of the region. Breeds in Ireland (rare) and southern Britain and from Iberia east to the southern Urals and Caspian. In the north reaches south-east Norway and southern parts of Sweden and Finland, and across Russia north to about 62 degrees N. Also breeds south to the Mediterranean and on most larger islands, throughout Turkey and the Caucasus and from Morocco to Tunisia in North-West Africa. Range patchy and discontinuous in much of North-Western Europe and still in decline in many areas.
Begins to leave breeding areas in late July, by early October most have left for sub-Saharan Africa. The spring return movement is mainly April-May, rarely earlier.
Vagrant north to Iceland and Faroes, and west to the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Several races occur in the Region differing slightly in size, ground colour and amount of white in wings of male. Other less differentiated races are found in the east of the Region but there is much intergradation and variation occurs within, as well as between, races.
There are 6 subspecies[1]:
- C. e. europaeus:
- C. e. meridionalis: generally smaller and paler
- Mediterranean basin to north-western Iran and Caspian Sea
- C. e. sarudnyi:
- Eastern side of Caspian Sea (Kazakstan) to Altai Mountains
- C. e. unwini:
- Iraq and Iran to western Tien Shan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
- C. e. plumipes:
- C. e. dementievi:
- North-eastern Mongolia and southern Transbaikalia
Habitat
Dry open woodland and woodland edge, usually pine but also birch or oak, heathland and moorland with scattered trees, young forestry plantations and chalk downland. In some areas found on stony steppe country with sparse vegetation.
Behaviour
Nocturnal.
Breeding
Ground nesters.
Diet
Hawks for moths and other night-flying insects.
Vocalisation
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) European Nightjar. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/European_Nightjar
