Nightjar

Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) are nocturnal birds of open wood and heathland. They hunt beetles and moths in flight in the dawn and dusk twilight, helped by their wide gape, and near-silent, highly agile flight that earned them a supernatural reputation in early times. Inactive during the day, their grey and brown mottled plumage provides excellent camouflage.

Nightjars in Plymouth

Nightjars return from wintering in Africa in April and can be seen in the more open spaces within the Plym Valley and further upstream where the woodland gives way to broken heathland and farmland on the edge of Dartmoor. Nesting on the ground, their churring call may be heard as daylight fades. In the feint light of dawn or dusk, particularly coinciding with well moonlit nights are the ideal conditions for picking out their silhouettes. In September they leave the Plym Valley and fly south to Africa.

For more information on nightjars please visit the RSPB BBC and Forestry Commission websites.

Photo credit: David Tipling