nightjar









nightjar


noun

  1. a nocturnal European bird, Caprimulgus europaeus, of the family Caprimulgidae, having a short bill and a wide mouth and feeding on insects captured in the air.
  2. Also called goatsucker. any other nocturnal or crepuscular bird of the family Caprimulgidae.

noun

  1. any nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, esp Caprimulgus europaeus (European nightjar): order Caprimulgiformes. They have a cryptic plumage and large eyes and feed on insects
n.

nocturnal bird, goatsucker, 1620s, from night + jar (v.). So called for the “jarring” sounds made by the male when the female is brooding, which have been described as a “churring trill that seems to change direction as it rises and falls.” An Old English word for it was nihthræfn “night raven.”

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