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MARK CATESBY (1682-1749)

The Goat-Sucker of Carolina

1722-6

RCIN 924821

Catesby’s name for the nightjar was the ‘Goat Sucker of Carolina’, from a belief that nightjars drank milk from goats. In fact these nocturnal birds often gather around pens containing goats and other livestock at dusk in order to catch insects attracted to the animals’ droppings. The nightjar’s beak is fringed with sensory hairs, which help it to capture insects in flight.


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