Chuck-will's-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis)
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The Chuck-will's-widow is the largest of our native Caprimulgriformes (literally, "goatsuckers," because they were once believed to drink a nanny goat's milk in the dead of night!). This foot long nocturnal bird flies through the dark, catching large insects with its 2 inch wide mouth. It has even been known to eat the occasional small bird! The persistent call, from which they get their name, can be heard repeated over and over again on a hot Austin summer night. They nest directly on the ground and are so well camouflaged that they refuse to move until they are almost stepped upon, at which point they explode into flight and land about 10 feet away. They then do a very realistic "broken wing" display until they have lead the trespasser away from the nest. This photo is of a female sitting on eggs.
class: Aves / order: Caprimulgiformes / family: Caprimulgidae / genus: Caprimulgus / species: carolinensis
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