Goatsucker is a name common to the birds of the genus Caprimulgus, as also to all belonging to the same family - the Caprimulgidae, given originally from the erroneous opinion that they suck goats. The European goatsucker (Caprimulgus europceus) feeds upon nocturnal insects, as moths, gnats, beetles, etc, which it catches on the wing, flying with its mouth open. Its mouth is comparatively large, and lined on the inside with a glutinous substance to prevent the escape of those insects which fly into it. Like all birds which catch flies when on the wing, the gape is surrounded by stiff bristles. When perched, it usually sits lengthwise on a bare twig, with its head lower than its tail, and in this attitude utters a jarring note, whence one of its common names - nightjar, or nightchurr. It has a light, soft plumage, minutely mottled with gray and brown, and is about 10 inches in length. The American chuckwill's widow, whip-poor-will, and night-hawk belong to the same family. Research Goatsucker
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Abbreviations
Nature
Research Goatsucker
