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I meant to make this a post about a few birds, but I went down a very long research rabbit hole and only have one bird to talk about.

Satanic Nightjar

For such a scary name, this bird is really very cute. Only found in Sulawesi, Indonesia, the Satanic Nightjar is exceedingly rare and has suffered greatly through habitat loss. Originally found in 1931, they were believed to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1996.

The Satanic Nightjar is a species that’s part of a larger Nightjar group. Nightjars globally dispersed and different species of Nightjar are found on every continent except Antarctica. The “night” in Nightjar comes first from the fact that this group of birds is active mainly at night (nocturnal) or active at dawn and dusk (crepuscular). All nightjars have mottled brown and white feathers of varying patterns and shades, allowing them to roost on the ground during the day. They blend in perfectly with the forest floor.

And while the Satanic Nightjar is only found in Indonesia, the European Nightjar is found across Europe and Asia. The term “jar” likely refers to the sound that the European Nightjar makes. Imagine this. It’s dusk and the moon is just starting to rise. You’re alone near the edge of the forest. It’s mainly quiet, and then you hear a high, rapid, trilling “churr” call. Your eyes haven’t adjusted to the dark. You can hear the sound but can’t see it. The noise itself is jarring. And since these common names are all in English, this is how we get a common term across an entire group of birds, even if they’re different species. It’s pretty telling that even in writing this the naming conventions are centered around European understanding of the bird and nothing else.

So why name these little birds in Indonesia as Satanic Nightjars? I don’t know. I found a few references that it had something to do with local folklore in Indonesia, possibly that at night their eyes reflect red when a light shines on them at night, which I imagine is very disconcerting if you’re out in a forested area. All nightjars have distinct calls, and that could be part of the reason behind the name, but I couldn’t find solid verification of a Satanic Nightjar call, so I don’t know what they sound like.

A Satanic Nightjar roosts on a branch. This bird is mottle with dark brown and light brown, and the light brown parts of its feathers almost look like spots. It has large, round, dark, eyes and a very tiny, pointed beak. The bird is almost a teardrop shape, with a head that kind of blends into the body and a long tail. Image credit: David Beale, eBird 565105456

What I did find, though, is that Nightjars have a deep history in folklore throughout the world. In fact, if you live in the USA, you may know Nightjars by the name Whip-poor-will, named after their call.

Also, I’m pretty sure that the dragon in How to Train Your Dragon was modeled after the Great Eared Nightjar. I mean, that’s Toothless the dragon right there! The entire Nightjar group is really fascinating, and I really want to learn more about the folklore of these birds from across the world! If you’re interested in learning more about the folklore of Nightjars specifically in the USA, look at The Lonesome Whip-Poor-Will.

![A Great Earned Nightjar opens its large and toothless mouth at the camera. These birds are a mottled light and dark brown that blends in perfectly with the leaves on the forest floor. The bird has feathers on either side of its head that go up and look a bit like horns. The bird’s face is very similar to the dragon Toothless in “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Image credit: Imon Abedin and found in the Macaulay Library ML36256](attachment:d5db97ab-9ca4-4ee5-a1de-7500f970376b:Screenshot_2025-12-11_at_9.04.45_PM.png)

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