Which insects are important foods for nightjars?

Nightjars are insectivorous birds that consume a wide variety of insects, though they show a particular preference for beetles, which predominate in the diet of many species.1

In addition to beetles, other important food sources for nightjars include:

• Moths1
• Winged forms of termites1
• Winged forms of ants1
• Mosquitoes1

While nightjars are well-known for taking flying insects on the wing during continuous flight, they are also agile on the ground and will swoop from perches or run along the surface to capture crawling insects. Their feeding habits are opportunistic, and they are known to prey on insects that are attracted to or disturbed by larger animals, such as goats.213