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

The nightjar is listed as an amber species under the Red List for Birds, meaning it is a species of "conservation concern".

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

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

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2023

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 • May 3, 2023

Some of the costliest and most invasive construction is unfolding this month in Guadalupe Canyon, an oasis-like habitat for rare species of birds like the buff-collared nightjar and tropical kingbird.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2020

Whow-whow called a nightjar in a breathless voice.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer