Nightjars are birds of prey.
They go hunting at night. Insects such as mosquitoes, beetles, bedbugs and butterflies are their prey.
Nightjars also like to eat flies and gadflies, which are most often found near grazing livestock. Hence the legend according to which in the evenings the nightjar sucked milk from the goats, which is how the name of the bird came about.
They go hunting at night. Insects such as mosquitoes, beetles, bedbugs and butterflies are their prey.
Nightjars also like to eat flies and gadflies, which are most often found near grazing livestock. Hence the legend according to which in the evenings the nightjar sucked milk from the goats, which is how the name of the bird came about.