nightjars
E863236
Nightjars are nocturnal, insect-eating birds known for their cryptic plumage, silent flight, and wide-mouthed aerial hunting.
Observed surface forms (3)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Caprimulgidae | 0 |
| Caprimulgiformes | 0 |
| nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) | 1 |
Statements (61)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
bird clade
ⓘ
bird family ⓘ bird order ⓘ |
| absentFrom |
Madagascar
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
New Zealand NERFINISHED ⓘ most of Polynesia ⓘ some oceanic islands ⓘ |
| activityPattern |
crepuscular
ⓘ
nocturnal ⓘ |
| bill | small bill with very wide gape ⓘ |
| class | Aves ⓘ |
| clutchSize | usually 1–2 eggs ⓘ |
| commonNameOf | Caprimulgidae NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| conservationStatus | several species of conservation concern due to habitat loss ⓘ |
| diet | insectivorous ⓘ |
| distribution | worldwide in temperate and tropical regions ⓘ |
| eggCamouflage | cryptically patterned eggs ⓘ |
| etymology |
English name refers to nocturnal habits and churring song
ⓘ
from Latin capra (goat) and mulgere (to milk), from old myth that birds sucked milk from goats ⓘ |
| family | Caprimulgidae NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| huntingStrategy | aerial insect hawking ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| migrationPattern |
many species migratory
ⓘ
some species resident ⓘ |
| nesting | ground-nesting ⓘ |
| nestType | no constructed nest ⓘ |
| notableFor |
cryptic plumage
ⓘ
silent flight ⓘ wide gape ⓘ |
| notableSpecies |
Chuck-will’s-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis)
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) ⓘ European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) NERFINISHED ⓘ Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| order | Caprimulgiformes NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| parentalCare | both sexes may incubate in some species ⓘ |
| parentTaxon | Caprimulgiformes NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| phylum | Chordata ⓘ |
| plumage |
grey
ⓘ
mottled brown ⓘ rufous ⓘ |
| plumageAdaptation | camouflage against leaf litter and bark ⓘ |
| primaryFood |
beetles
ⓘ
flies ⓘ moths ⓘ other flying insects ⓘ |
| sensoryAdaptation |
large eyes adapted to low light
ⓘ
well-developed rictal bristles around bill ⓘ |
| tailShape | relatively long tail ⓘ |
| taxonRank | family ⓘ |
| threat |
decline in insect prey
ⓘ
disturbance at nesting sites ⓘ habitat destruction ⓘ |
| typicalHabitat |
clearings
ⓘ
forest edges ⓘ heathland ⓘ open woodland ⓘ savanna ⓘ scrub ⓘ |
| vocalization |
repetitive churring songs
ⓘ
whistles and calls at night ⓘ |
| wingShape | long and pointed wings ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)