Nightjars are nocturnal or crepuscular medium-sized birds that have long wings, short legs, short beaks, and a large gape. They tend to be highly camouflaged and perch horizontally to help conceal themselves during the day. Nightjars are found across the world except Antarctica, New Zealand and some islands in Oceania, occupying a wide range of habitats from deserts to rainforests but are most often found in open country. Their diet consists almost entirely of insects which they hunt at dusk.
Nightjars usually nest on the ground laying one or two cryptically-coloured eggs which may be incubated by the female alone or by both parents. Chicks are semi-precocial and can open their eyes on the first day and run by the fourth day.
Nightjars are sometimes known colloquially as goat-suckers, from an old superstition that they were able to milk goats with their very large mouths.
There are 79 species of nightjars and allies worldwide, 4 of which are found in the UK.
Species marked with a are occasional visitors.
