Nightjar
- The European nightjar male produces a drawn-out trill, while birds of both sexes make other sounds. In flight, they often call "wick…wick".
- The European nightjar can hover in one place like a bat and glide with widely spread wings. This ability is evident in flight characterized by maneuverability and silence.
- The European nightjar earned the nickname "drowsy" because of its habit of sitting motionless with closed eyes. This behavior helps it blend in and hide the shine of its eyes from potential aggressors.
- The European nightjar has an unusually large mouth, which is the basis for its name. It runs among animals, including cows and goats, and often appears in the evening near their herds.
- European nightjar chicks are active and able to walk immediately after hatching. Unlike adult birds, they move well on foot.
- The European nightjar blends into the environment during the day because of its mottled plumage, squinting eyes, and limited movement. This happens when it perches on a tree branch or among fallen leaves.
- The European nightjar runs between the legs of the animals it hunts. It not only flies near them but also runs on the ground among them.
Age
The Eurasian nightjar typically lives from four to seven years, although the maximum recorded lifespan is eleven years and eleven months, with a theoretical lifespan ranging from eight years and seven months to eleven years; the species reaches sexual maturity between nine months and one week and one year and three months. An embryo develops inside an egg, and the nestling stage, lasting from one day to two weeks and four days, concludes when the young leave the nesting site. Following the initial flight, the rapid-growth juvenile stage lasts from two weeks and five days to one year. The adult stage, during which the bird is capable of reproduction, lasts from one to twelve years.
Phenotype
The Eurasian nightjar has soft feathers with a pattern of gray, brown, and black for camouflage on the ground; the adult’s bill is short with a very wide mouth opening and bristles along the edges; the species possesses large eyes for vision in the dark; the adult displays white spots on the tail and white spots on the wings, noticeable during flight; the adult's wings are long and sharp, enabling maneuverable flight; the young have down that is gray in color to retain heat.
Physiology
The Eurasian nightjar measures from 24 to 28 centimeters in body length, with a wingspan of 60 centimeters and a weight ranging from 46.2 to 66.9 grams. The embryo stage has a body length from 2.5 to 3.1 centimeters and a body mass from 6 to 8 grams; the nestling stage exhibits a body mass from 5 to 55 grams and a body length from 5 to 18 centimeters; the post-fledging stage displays a body mass from 45 to 80 grams and a body length from 20 to 26 centimeters; finally, the adult stage has a body mass from 55 to 100 grams and a body length from 24 to 28 centimeters.
Habitat
The Eurasian nightjar occupies a terrestrial habitat, specifically within ground forests. The species thrives in temperate mixed forests characterized by warm summers and a prevalence of oak, birch, and maple trees; flooded meadows where water frequently covers the ground and abundant grass grows; and taiga environments with cold winters and numerous coniferous trees such as spruce and pine. The climate varies, including cool summers with temperatures from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, consistently high humidity with frequent rainfall, warm summers and plentiful rain, warm summers and mild winters, and pleasant summers with temperatures ranging from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. The altitude range for the Eurasian nightjar is up to 800 meters above sea level.
Shelter
Location is on the ground among dry grass or on low branches. Type of shelter—no permanent shelter. The species does not have a permanent or long-term shelter.
Geography
The Eurasian nightjar is found within the biogeographical realms of Afrotropics and Palearctics. The species inhabits Celtic broadleaf forests, coniferous forests of the Qilian Mountains, Balkan mixed forests, Baltic mixed forests, European Atlantic mixed forests, and mixed forests of the Pindus Mountains.
Feeding
The Eurasian nightjar feeds on flying insects, catching them with its wide open mouth during slow nocturnal flights; its method of obtaining food is aerial hunting in flight. The species’ diet includes moths, beetles, mosquitoes, moths, and other insects. Specific prey includes mosquitoes, butterflies, beetles, flies, Hymenoptera, bedbugs, Orthoptera, dragonflies, mayflies, and lacewings. The nightjar employs an active hunting strategy to obtain its food.
Reproduction
Embryonic development lasts 1 week 6 days. Litter size is 1–2. Maturity occurs from 10 months to 1 year 1 month. Offspring are 1–2. The female lays two eggs directly on the ground without a nest. Both parents take turns incubating the clutch and feeding the chicks. The breeding interval is 1 year.