By Sheetal Kumari | June 03, 2025
With its tufted ears and shining eyes, the great eared nightjar resembles a mythical dragon more than a real bird.
(Image: @ElliottBlackwe3/X)
This shy night bird shuns low woodlands throughout South and Southeast Asia, hiding from sight on the forest floor.
(Image: @FabulousWeird/X)
Its speckled brown, grey and black feathers enable it to disappear among leaves, tree stumps and shadows by day.
(Image: @Kintsurugi/X)
While most birds construct a nest, the nightjar simply lays one egg on the forest floor.
(Image: @AMAZlNGNATURE/X)
Experts think ground-laying assists nightjars in using camouflage to keep their egg and chick safe from predators.
(Image: @BStokkermans/X)
Both mom and dad alternate keeping the egg warm until it safely hatches on the forest floor.
(Image: @BStokkermans/X)
Once it has hatched, the chick remains concealed in the leaves and is nourished by both parents until it learns to fly.
(Image: @arthurianmaiden/X)
Eating mostly moths and insects, this bird silently glides through the evening sky employing its large, open mouth.
(Image: @bongofgondor/X)
Its haunting “tsiik” call followed by a gentle whistle carries through the forest at dawn and dusk.
(Image: @bongofgondor/X)
Quiet, peculiar and enigmatic, the great eared nightjar is one of the most intriguing bird species in nature.
(Image: @alocin969873912/X)