Where to see nightjar in the UK

How to find nightjar

There is a narrow window for nightjars and almost nothing outside it. The birds are on territory from late May to July, and they become active roughly twenty minutes after sunset. Arrive at dusk and you'll get perhaps forty minutes; arrive in daylight and you'll see nothing but heather.

The sound is the reason to go. Churring is a mechanical, wooden trill that runs for minutes without an obvious breath, rising and falling as the bird turns its head, and it doesn't sound like a bird at all — people consistently describe it as an engine or a distant machine. On a still June evening it carries across the whole heath.

You may also see them. Males patrol their territory in a loose, floppy, moth-like flight, and they wing-clap — a sharp crack made by bringing the wings together over the back. Against a late sky the silhouette is long-winged and long-tailed, closer to a small falcon than anything else.

Practicalities matter more than usual here because you'll be walking out in the dark. Stick to the main tracks — nightjars nest on open ground and a bird flushed off eggs at dusk is a real cost. Take a torch for the walk back but keep it off while you're standing.

Warm, still, dry evenings are far better than cool or breezy ones. If the forecast is poor, go another night rather than persevering.