Caprimulgiformes – Nightbirds & Hummingbirds

It’s “good night, sleep tight” just for a few of us, not these nightbirds!

Caprimulgiformes comprise several nocturnal bird families: the nightjars, Owlet-frogmouths, Potoots, Oilbirds and frogmouths, as well as the shining, sugar-fueled hummingbirds and the frequent-flyers Swifts.

Their primary food is insects, though some are carnivorous. They are easily recognizable thanks to some peculiar features – smallish birds with weak, short legs, vast mouths, and big eyes.

The sounds they produce can be pretty startling, rather strange, and even be found strangely beautiful to our ears. It has made us humans associate these wonderful birds with various feelings – from being in good spirits to being feared.

And for a good reason – the Oilbirds that possess the (superpower) of echolocation can fly about in complete darkness too!