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BTO Blueline
NIGHTJAR
Caprimulgus europaeus

Nightjar © Derek Belsey
Conservation listings
Europe: SPEC category 2 (depleted)
UK: red (>50% distribution decline)
Long-term trend
UK: uncertain 
Distribution maps
Maps and statistics from British and Irish
atlases can be viewed here.
Status summary
Nightjar suffered a decline in range of more than 50% of 10-km squares between breeding atlases, but the 1992 national survey revealed a welcome increase of 50% in population size since 1981, probably due to the increased availability of young forest habitat as plantations were felled and replanted (Morris et al. 1994). The apparent increase in nest failure rates is probably an artefact of very small sample sizes in the early years, but some decrease in clutch and brood sizes is now becoming apparent. The results of a new national survey, carried out in 2004, are currently being collated (for more information, click here).
 
Annual population changes are not monitored for this species
Table of productivity information for Nightjar
Variable Period
(yrs)		 Years Mean
annual
sample		 Trend Predicted
in first year		 Predicted
in last year		 Change Comment
Clutch size 34 1968-2002 15 Linear decline 2 eggs 1.87 eggs -0.13 eggs Small sample
Brood size 34 1968-2002 23 Curvilinear 1.81 chicks 1.73 chicks -0.08 chicks Small sample
Daily failure rate (eggs) 34 1968-2002 20 Linear increase 0.0124 nests/day 0.0364 nests/day 0.024 nests/day Small sample
Daily failure rate (chicks) 34 1968-2002 19 Linear increase 0.0023 nests/day 0.0247 nests/day 0.0224 nests/day Small sample
Laying date 34 1968-2002 18 None       Small sample
 
Clutch size graph
Brood size graph
Egg nest failure graph
Chick nest failure graph

Laying date graph

 

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species

 
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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H.,
Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. (2005)
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2004.
BTO Research Report No. 385. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 18 January, 2006