16. Montane Nightjar Nightjars are among the most difficult birds to see and identify. For one thing they are nocturnal: they fly about in the dark catching insects, though I have seen them fluttering around outdoor lights which draw moths and other creatures. Usually it is the call that alerts you to their presence but does not give away their exact location. During the day they are almost equally invisible, for they are exceedingly well camouflaged, hunkering down with closed eyes among dry leaves under trees. It is possible to be feet away with clear sight and still not be able to make them out – until you get too close: then they explode upwards from under your feet like an anti-personal land-mine. That’s how you will see them – usually with heart palpitating from the fright – a few nano- seconds of blurry-brown wings. To make it worse, the different species are very similar. Though this part of Kenya and the central part of Ethiopia are the only places in Africa that these Montane Nightjars are to be found, they are said to be quite common. I didn’t see this bird myself: someone else heard the call and managed to track it down. Birds of AFRICAMA House 36 Birds of AFRICAMA House 37