 The European Nightjar, or just Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, is the only representative of the nightjar family of birds in most of Europe and temperate Asia. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1260x787, 67 KB) Caprimulgus europaeus from de: aus naumann - public domain NAUMANN, NATURGESCHICHTE DER VÖGEL MITTELEUROPAS: Band IV, Tafel 28 - Gera, 1901; digital auf: http://www. ...
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ...
Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ...
Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which do not qualify for any other category. ...
For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ...
Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Eumetazoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Xenoturbellida Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Ectoprocta Bryozoa...
{{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ...
Aves redirects here. ...
Families Steatornithidae Podargidae Aegothelidae Nyctibiidae Caprimulgidae The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes the cosmopolitan nightjars, the frogmouths of Australasia and Southeast Asia, the South American potoos and Oilbird, and the Australasian owlet-nightjars. ...
Genera Nyctiprogne Podager Lurocalis Chordeiles Nyctidromus Phalaenoptilus Siphonorhis Nyctiphrynus Caprimulgus Macrodipteryx Hydropsalis Uropsalis Macropsalis Eleothreptus Eurostopodus Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. ...
Species Many, see text Caprimulgus is a large and very widespread genus of nightjars, medium-sized nocturnal birds with long pointed wings, short legs and short bills. ...
In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ...
Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (827x635, 565 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nightjar European Nightjar Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used...
Genera Nyctiprogne Podager Lurocalis Chordeiles Nyctidromus Phalaenoptilus Siphonorhis Nyctiphrynus Caprimulgus Macrodipteryx Hydropsalis Uropsalis Macropsalis Eleothreptus Eurostopodus Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. ...
Aves redirects here. ...
World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ...
World map showing the location of Asia. ...
It is a late migrant, seldom appearing before the end of April or beginning of May. It occurs throughout northern and central Europe, and winters in Africa, as far south as the Cape. Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Many species of birds undertake seasonal journeys of various lengths, a phenomenon known as Bird migration. ...
A world map showing the continent of Africa. ...
In southern Europe, and the warmer parts of Africa and Asia, it is replaced by other members of the nightjar family. In the British Isles it occurs in many suitable localities, but in the Shetlands and other northern islands it is only known as an occasional migrant. Location of the British Isles The British Isles is a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe consisting of Great Britain, Ireland, and a number of smaller surrounding islands and islets. ...
The Shetland Islands, also called Shetland (archaically spelled Zetland) formerly called Hjaltland, comprise one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ...
Open heathy wastes, bracken-covered slopes and open woods are the haunts of the crepuscular Nightjar. Its song, from which it derives some of its common names, is a strange churring trill and is the surest means of identification. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
The Nightjar flies at dusk, most often at sundown, a long-tailed, shadowy form with easy, silent moth-like flight; its strong and deliberate wingbeats alternate with graceful sweeps and wheels with motionless wings. A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. ...
The plumage of the adult Nightjar is lichen-grey, barred and streaked with buff, chestnut and black. The under parts are barred. White spots on primaries and white tips to the outer tail feathers are characters of the male; in the young male these are buff. The bill is black, the legs reddish brown.
The beautifully variegated plumage resembles the Wryneck, its wide gape and long wings are like a swift’s, and its soft downy plumage and nocturnal habits are akin to an owls. The length is 26cm, and the wingspan 55cm. Species The wrynecks (genus Jynx) are a small but distinctive group of small Old World woodpeckers. ...
Genera Many; see text. ...
Families Strigidae Tytonidae Ogygoptyngidae (fossil) Palaeoglaucidae (fossil) Protostrigidae (fossil) Sophiornithidae (fossil) Synonyms Strigidae sensu Sibley & Ahlquist Owls are solitary, mainly nocturnal birds of prey. ...
Its soft mechanical trill rises and falls as it vibrates on the variable evening breeze, or as the bird turns its head from side to side. The lower mandible vibrates and the throat is distended until the feathers stand out.
When it churrs the bird lies or crouches along a bough or rail, but it will sing from a post, and occasionally perch across a branch.
These lines are from the poem Love in the Valley by George Meredith — George Meredith, OM (February 12, 1828 – May 18, 1909) was an English novelist and poet. ...
- Lone on the fir-branch, his rattle-notes unvaried,
- Brooding o'er the gloom, spins the brown eve-jar.
The similarity to the whirr of a spinning-wheel doubtless originated the old name "Jenny-spinner". The duration of the trill may be for a fraction of a minute or for several minutes without a pause. It is continued at intervals during summer, and occasionally may be heard in August and September, just before the bird departs.
During the day the Nightjar lies silent upon the ground, often on a heap of stones, concealed by its plumage; it is difficult to detect, looking like a bit of lichen-covered twig or a fragment of bark. With eyes almost closed it watches through tiny slits, rising suddenly, sometimes with a croak of alarm, but usually silently, when almost stepped on.
Its rounded head and short beak, together with its mottled dress, give it a peculiar reptilian appearance; little wonder that one of its old names is "Flying toad." "Nighthawk" and "Fern-owl" are names derived from its habits, "Dorhawk" and "Moth-owl" from its food. Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane. ...
Its weird nocturnal note and silent ghostly flight have earned from the superstitious the name "Lich (corpse) Fowl" and "Puckeridge", and "Goatsucker" is due to wholly erroneous notions of its intentions when flying amongst animals.
When on the wing it has a soft call, and a sharper and repeated alarm, cuick, cuick, but during courtship, and occasionally at other times, it uses a mechanical signal, a sharp cracking sound, caused by clapping the wings together over the back.
The male may be told from the female by the white spots on his wings and tail, and as he gracefully floats above her, with wings upraised at a sharp angle, he spreads his tail wide to show the white spots. On the ground both birds will swing the tail from side to side when excited. The Nightjar does not hunt with open mouth, as often depicted, but the huge gape opens wide for large crepuscular insects, such as noctuid moths and dor-beetles, which are snapped up with avidity. insects are its food.
No nest is made; the two elongated and elliptical eggs, creamy white mottled with brown, purple and liver-colour are placed upon the bare ground amongst bracken or stones; the brooding bird, sitting closely, is their best protection. They are seldom laid before the end of May. The male occasionally broods. The female will "squatter" away to attract attention if disturbed, rolling and fluttering in a perfect frenzy.
The newly hatched young are covered with vermiculated grey and brown down, livid blue skin showing on the naked nape and back; the combed or pectinated claw of the adult, is represented by a horny unserrated plate. The call is a querulous cheep.
They quickly become active and the parents soon remove them if the nest has been visited. At times a second brood is reared. Emigration begins in August, and by the middle of September most birds have left.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Caprimulgus europaeus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
|
Feeds |
Contact