Focus on.. Nightjars

07 Jun 2016 Nightjar by Chris Knights/BTO

Breeding on lowland heaths and recent conifer clear fells, Nightjar is one of the latest summer visitors to arrive back in Britain and Ireland. Although a handful of birds are found at coastal sites during migration, the best way to find your own is to listen for their distinctive churring 'song' on a calm June night.


The Nightjar population has fluctuated in Britain and Ireland with widespread declines in the 1960s and 1970s, though more recently it has increased again, according to . Active mainly at night, Nightjars are difficult to study and little was known of their movements both during breeding and on migration. Recent tracking studies by the BTO have begun to reveal migration routes and wintering areas.


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