nightjar

American  

[nahyt-jahr] / ˈnaɪtˌdʒɑr /

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.

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nightjar British  

/ ˈnaɪtˌdʒɑː /

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

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Etymology

Origin of nightjar

1620–30; night + jar ² (from its harsh cry)

Example Sentences

Swifts and nightjars work with a limited repertoire of instinctive calls while hummingbirds are able to elaborate on calls by learning complex songs from each other, a trait called vocal learning.

From Science Daily

Nightingale, greenfinch, grey partridge, marsh tit, skylark, nightjar and tree pipit - all Red List species - have been recorded.

From BBC

The site, as the tower company later acknowledged, destroyed some of the nesting habitat of the Puerto Rican nightjar, a tiny endangered songbird.

From Salon

The research group found that the cilia are notably absent from feathers of barn owls and nightjars, two species that stalk prey at night.

From Scientific American

In the evenings there were fireflies in the courtyard, and he could hear the cries of the nightjars as they circled overhead.

From Literature