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| goatsucker bird |
A goatsucker is any of the medium-sized birds comprising the family Caprimulgidae. These comparatively large-headed, dull-colored birds are found throughout most of the temperate parts of the world. They range from about 7 to 10 inches in length. The bill is small, the mouth wide and fringed with stiff bristles which aid the bird in catching insects as it flies. Goatsuckers do not build nests but usually deposit their eggs on the ground. Approximately half of the numerous species known are found in the Western Hemisphere. The most familiar goatsuckers in the United States are the whippoorwill or nightjar, the nighthawk, and the chuck-will's-widow.
