Why is the whippoorwill called the nightjar? (5 photos + 1 video)

What do you think a bird can do to milk goats? Wings? Paws? Of course, with a beak, the ancient people would have answered you! According to their beliefs, a demon bird flies in every night and steals goat milk!





And it’s hard to argue with them; when you see the giant plowshare of our today’s hero, the nightjar, you will also believe in any nonsense, and when you hear his chthonic howls, you’ll go crazy.



There are 60 species of nightjars in total, and each one inhabits its own corner of the world. You can find them in Europe, Africa, and Asia - hellish heralds are everywhere. They only flew around the poles. But why does this bird scare you? The bird is small - a maximum of 30-40 centimeters in length and weighing 100-250 grams - how did this asshole even deserve the demonic title?

It is enough to go out at night into the field (without a horse) where these creatures are found, because like any evil spirits, the nightjar awakens with the arrival of darkness. The Sabbat is marked by a chthonic-Lovecraftian cackle - something between the lamentations of martyrs and the rough roar of Cerberus. Deafening the forest with howls for half a kilometer, the birds go hunting. Surprisingly, their goal is not the souls of sinners, or even goat’s milk, but insects.



The feathered demon finds them even in pitch darkness - thanks to the giant eyes with an ever-wandering look and... goats. Having sensed that cattle and their shit magnetically attract all kinds of insects, the nightjar began to hang out not far from cows, sheep and goats, which gave rise to the myth about their love for milk.

In fact, the bird uses its giant chirp as a net, filling it with arthropod reptiles on the fly, like a swift. If you want to appease a demon, feed him moths - this is his favorite dish. Whom to be eaten: local whores or night insects - decide for yourself.

All this devilry ends only with the first rays of the sun. In the morning, the nightjar disappears like an evil spirit. Thanks to the “50 shades of wood” coloring, our hero blends perfectly with the fallen leaves and bark of local vegetation. So if you don’t see a whippoorwill, it doesn’t mean that the whippoorwill doesn’t see you.





His eyes never close completely; he, like Big Brother, always watches you through the narrow slits of his eyelids. Moreover, the nightjar will not give itself away if you come close to it - it will sit until the last minute. So you won’t even know about the presence of a demon, unless he decides to declassify himself!

But the worst begins between April and June - the mating season. With his howls, the male summons not only the horror of the depths, but also the female. The guy takes care of the young lady for a long time, fluttering around and showing what a great guy he is, because nightjars choose each other for life.



Birds do not worry about living space - they build a nest directly on bare ground, a stump or on a tree limb. But despite this, the parents of nightjars are excellent. Mother and father share responsibilities equally: they hatch and feed the little devils together. After 20 days, 1-2 chicks are born.

Until they learn to scare others with their terrible cackling, the young skillfully pretend to be the ground or a branch - depending on where the parents decide to build a nest. Fortunately, after 5 weeks the young animals are removed from their ancestors. They leave to serve 6 years in the army of satanic spawn.