Oilbirds eat fruit that they pluck from trees. All other caprimulgiforms eat arthropods, animals with no backbones. These include insects, spiders, and millipedes. Larger birds eat vertebrates, creatures with backbones, like frogs, mice, small birds, and bats.
The order Caprimulgiformes is known as nightjars and "nightjar" is also the name of the largest family in the order. An order consists of animals with similar characteristics. Caprimulgiformes have large heads, and their large eyes help them see at night. Also large is the gape, the width of the mouth when open. Around the mouths of some birds are whisker-like bristles. The birds hav…
Caprimulgiformes are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. Some families are also crepuscular (kri-PUS-kyuh-lur), becoming active at twilight. Birds in this order communicate with calls. Most species are monogamous (muh-NAH-guh-mus), mating with one partner. Nightjars do not build nests, and the female lays one to two eggs. She and the male incubate the eggs, sitting on them until they hatc…
There is concern about the future of some Caprimulgiformes species, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). These species are threatened by loss of habitat as forests are cleared for farming and development. The Puerto Rican nightjar is Critically Endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. However, conservation efforts could result in the…
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