THE



137



Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.


Third Series .— Vol. VI.—No. 5. —All rights reserved. MARCH, 1915.



THE NIGHTJAR.


(Gaprimulgus Europeans).


By P. L. M. Galloway.


This curious bird seldom arrives in England until the first

week in May. I have generally noticed it about the second or third

of the month and on a few occasions by the 30th of April. It loves

to bask in the sunshine during daytime, and in its haunt on a

common amongst scrub and furze, I haye seen it on a bare piece

of ground in the sun looking more like a small log of weather¬

beaten wood with the bark on, than a bird; and have been able to

quietly walk up to within a few feet of it, when suddenly it darted

up over my head and away over the common. During the fine

warm summer evenings, I have spent several pleasant hours in the

Nightjar’s favourite haunt, sitting smoking my pipe and waiting

for the bird to emerge from his hiding place, and as soon as the

dusk came on, out he would come and glide past me silently

backwards and forwards, then alight on a low bough, arrange

himself lengthwise with the bough and at once commence his

jarring notes. The flight of this species is for the most part silent.

The male bird w T ill fly off the bough and glide along without moving

the wings, then suddenly with his tail twisted sideways and clapping

his wings together rather sharply over his back, he will utter a note

several times like Koip, Koip, Koip, and then perhaps alight again

on a branch and carry on his peculiar jarring notes for some little

time. They take their food (which consists of moths large and

small, Cockchafers, Dorbeetles, and other night flying insects) on

the wing. As soon as daylight approaches they hide away until



