Welcome Guest

Eurasian Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus Linnaeus, C 1758

The European nightjar, common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar, is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northwestern China. The Latin generic name refers to the old myth that the nocturnal nightjar suckled goats, causing them to cease to give milk. The six subspecies differ clinally, the birds becoming smaller and paler towards the east of the range. All populations are migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Their densely patterned grey and brown plumage makes individuals difficult to see in the daytime when they rest on the ground or perch motionless along a branch, although the male shows white patches in the wings and tail as he flies at night. Source: Wikipedia




(0 votes)
Photo powered by flickr.com.


Classification
Order:
  Caprimulgiformes
Family:
  Caprimulgidae
Genus:
   Caprimulgus
Scientific:
  Caprimulgus europaeus

Original description

Citation:
  Linnaeus, C 1758

Reference:
   Systema Naturae ed. 10 1 p.193

Protonym:
  Caprimulgus europaeus

Type locality:
  Europe, restricted type locality, Sweden, ex Fauna Suec.

Link:
  https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/10277#page/213/mode/1up

Avibase identifiers

Avibase ID:
  80D4B0FE7FF1D735

Avibase ID:
  avibase-80D4B0FE

Short link:
  https://avibase.ca/80D4B0FE

Taxonomic Serial Number:
  TSN: 555569

Geographic range:

  • Caprimulgus europaeus europaeus: northern and central Europe to northern Asia and Lake Baikal area; winters to Africa
  • Caprimulgus europaeus meridionalis: Mediterranean basin to northwestern Iran and Caspian Sea
  • Caprimulgus europaeus unwini: Iraq and Iran to western Tien Shan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
  • Caprimulgus europaeus sarudnyi: eastern side of Caspian Sea (Kazakhstan) to Altai Mountains
  • Caprimulgus europaeus plumipes: northwestern China to western Mongolia
  • Caprimulgus europaeus dementievi: northeastern Mongolia and southern Transbaikalia
  • Show more...
Source: Clements checklist
English:
Eurasian Nightjar
Catalan:
enganyapastors comú
Czech:
lelek lesní
Danish:
Natravn
German:
Nachtschwalbe
Spanish:
Chotacabras europeo
Spanish (Spain):
Chotacabras europeo
Finnish:
kehrääjä
French:
Engoulevent d'Europe
Croatian:
leganj
Hungarian:
lappantyú
Icelandic:
Náttfari
Italian:
Succiacapre
Japanese:
ヨーロッパヨタカ
Lithuanian:
Lėlys
Dutch:
Nachtzwaluw
Norwegian:
Nattravn
Polish:
lelek
Portuguese:
noitibó-cinzento
Portuguese (Portugal):
noitibó-europeu
Russian:
Козодой
Slovak:
lelek lesný
Serbian:
Leganj
Swedish:
nattskärra
Ukrainian:
Дрімлюга
Chinese:
欧夜鹰
Chinese (Traditional):
歐夜鷹

Authorities recognizing this taxonomic concept:

Avibase taxonomic concepts (current):
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus)
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2023 (May 2023):
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2024 (Oct 2024):
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
Avilist 2025:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v7 (Dec 2022):
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v8 (Dec 2023):
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v9 (Oct 2024):
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
Clements 1st edition:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
Clements, version 2021:
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
Clements, version 2022:
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
Clements, version 2023:
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
Clements, version 2024:
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
eBird version 2021:
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
eBird version 2022:
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
eBird version 2023:
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
eBird version 2024:
Eurasian Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 11.1:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 11.2:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 12.1:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 12.2:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 13.1:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 13.2:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 14.1:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 14.2:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 15.1:
European Nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus) [version 1]
Peters' Check-list of the Birds:
Caprimulgus europaeus [version 1]
Peters' Check-list of the Birds (original):
Caprimulgus europaeus [version 1]
Peters' Check-list of the Birds (2nd edition):
Caprimulgus europaeus [version 1]

Taxonomic status:

Species status: full species

Your sightings

You must be logged in to view your sighting details. To register to myAvibase click here.

Related taxa

Alternative arrangements:  1  2 

Highlight taxa in a checklist (shown in red)

Other related concepts

Other synonyms

See also the taxonomic synonyms table.


Abkhazian: аҾарыхьшь, аҾыхьажь, аҚдҟәаҟәа, аҚдыҟәыҟә, аҞры, аҚыдҟәыҟә, аҞьаҧҟьаҧ
Afrikaans: Europese Naguil
Arabic: سبد اوروبي
Asturian: Rallu européu
Azerbaijani: adi keçisağan, çobanaldadan
Bashkir: төн күгәрсене, тырылдаҡ
Belarusian: Звычайны ляляк
Bulgarian: Европейски козодой
Bengali: িআিঈমযা঩ীয় যাতচযা
Bengali (transliteration): i'urōpīẏa rātacarā
Catalan: enganyapastors comú
Montenegrin: leganj, легањ
Montenegrin (Cyrillic): легањ
Czech: lelek lesní
Chuvash: ахаль тур качаки, Европа тур качаки, тур качаки, турă качаки
Danish: Natravn
German: Nachtschwalbe
Greek: (Ευρωπαϊκό) Γιδοβύζι
English: Eurasian Nightjar, European Nightjar
English, HBW: European Nightjar
English (India): Eurasian Nightjar (European Nightjar)
English (IOC): European Nightjar
English (Kenya): Eurasian Nightjar
English (United States): Eurasian Nightjar
English (South Africa): European Nightjar
Esperanto: Eŭropa kaprimulgo
Spanish: Chotacabras europeo
Spanish (Spain): Chotacabras europeo
Estonian: harilik öösorr, öösorr
Basque: Zata arrunta
Evenki: toghdo-kuun, uhmill, дебдекӯн
Persian: شبگرد معمولی
Finnish: kehrääjä
Faroese: Náttkjarra
French: Engoulevent d'Europe
Friulian: bocjàs
Galician: Avenoiteira cincenta
Hebrew: תחמס אירופי
Croatian: leganj
Hungarian: lappantyú
Armenian: Այծկիթ
Icelandic: Náttfari
Italian: Succiacapre
Japanese: ヨーロッパヨタカ
Kara-Kalpak: жапалақ, тентек қус
Kabardian: бжэнщӀэф
Mongolian, Halh: лагс эргүү бор, лагс эргүүбор291, нохой шогшоор, нохойн шогшир
Kazakh: қарапайым ешкіемер, кәдімгі ешкіемер, кәдімгі тентекқұс, кәдуілгі тентекқұс
Karachay-Balkar: кечеги къуш, тентек къуш
Kirghiz: кадимки байкуш, сутак, телкикуш, чегирткечи
Scientific: Caprimulgus europaeus, Caprimulgus europoeus, Caprimulgus vulgaris, Nyctichelidon vulgaris, Vociferator europaeus, Vociferator melolontha
Lithuanian: europinis lėlys, Lėlys
Latvian: vakarlēpis
Macedonian: козодој
Mongolian: лагс эргүү бор, лагс эргүүбор291, нохой шогшоор, нохойн шогшир, эргүү цахлай
Maltese: buqrajq
Mongolian, Chakhar (Peripheral): эргүү цахлай
Dutch: Nachtzwaluw
Norwegian: Nattravn
Livvi (Olonets Karelian): sinikalastailindu
Polish: lelek, lelek (zwyczajny)
Portuguese: noitibó-cinzento
Portuguese (Portugal): noitibó-europeu
Romanian: Caprimulg
Russian: Козодой
Northern Sami: Čahran
Slovak: lelek lesný
Slovenian: podhujka
Serbian: Leganj
Swedish: nattskärra
Turkmen: adaty gündizkör
Turkish: Çobanaldatan
Tatar: гади төн күгәрчене, төн күгәрчене
Tuvinian: аза кужу, докпак чаак, кыргырааш, өшку-саар
Udmurt: азьтэм куака, азьтэмкуака, уйкуака, уляби, унябей
Ukrainian: Дрімлюга, дрімлюга звичайний
Uzbek: оддий тентакқуш, тентак қуш, тентакқуш
Kalmyk: мокур яман, сөөһин харц
Chinese: 欧夜鹰
Chinese (Traditional): 歐夜鷹

Avibase has been visited 430,782,603 times since 24 June 2003. © Denis Lepage | Privacy policy