A project to survey and understand as much as we can about the European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) in the Forest of Dean, using a combination of observation, remote audio recording, field recordings, bio-acoustic analysis, ringing, telemetry, DNA sampling, photography and trail cameras. The project began back in 2002 but has grown both in its scope and methodology since that time.
This website collates some of the media that results from the project. Complete, accurate records and breeding data are submitted to the BTO and County Bird Recorder annually, as well as shared with the relevant land owner/manager. The project is funded by a combination of grants from Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society, Forestry England, a lottery funded local conservation project and personal funds.
Most recent project updates and articles…
2022 Season Summary
Some things in life are even more important than nightjars. Once again, events conspired against the project this year with the result that as far as fieldwork was concerned, the…
18 minutes 31 seconds
We’ve been reviewing the data gathered by the first deployment of the AudioMoth recorders this season and came across this recording from site AO. Figure 1 shows the pattern of…
2021 Season Summary
Already well into the 2022 season, we thought it was about time we wrote something about the 2021 season! The first bird of the 2021 season was on May 12th…
Gloucestershire records 1858-2015
The history of the Nightjar in Gloucestershire reflects the national one; early records tell us that it was once widespread, that the species has endured a long decline throughout the…
A sticky situation
Ground nesting birds always run a risk when breeding. There’s only so much a nightjar can achieve against a predator when its only ammunition is the ability to imitate a…