#eared poorwill

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Eared Poorwill

Photo: Luke Seitz

"Small nightjar of brushy oak woodland in foothills and highlands; endemic to west Mexico. Heard far more often than seen. Feeds from perches on the ground (including quiet roads) and in trees. Usually sings from a concealed perch. Sexes look similar: cryptic gray-brown to rusty overall with a rather plain face and throat, white 'vicar’s collar,' white spots on the wings, and narrow white tail tip. Its 'ears' are erectile head feathers rarely visible in the field. Loud, resonant whistled 'preeOO' song is repeated steadily."

- eBird

[zoologica42]

This Is a Catboy.

photo credit: Ryan Zucker

[herpsandbirds]

If you're still taking requests for bird pics, I'd love to see some nighthawks and/or nightjars!

NIGHT HAWKS NIGHTJARS!

But of course ma petite chou...

Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis), EAT UP A TASTY BUG!!!, family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes, Salt River, AZ, USA

photograph by Deep Ujjawal

Great-eared Nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis), family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes, Tangkoko, Sulawesi, Indonesia

photograph by Nigel Voaden

Pennant-winged Nightjar (Caprimulgus vexillarius), male, family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes, northern Zimbabwe

photographs by Richard Crawshaw

Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus), family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes, Thailand

photograph by SomchaiKetkool Suea Highway Oxide

Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) getting a drink of water, family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes, western USA

photograph by Scott Linstead

[awesome-animals-for-reference]

Nightjars

They're a nocturnal bird family or something. Birbas!!

Great-Eared Night-Jar

Look at him go! He looks like a little dragon guy omg. That tiny ass beak does not look like its mouth.

This birba's face is so flat and like "u wot"

And it scream. Look at it go!!

It's so fucking cute. omg.

Standard-Winged Nightjar

Excuse me sir, what are those?

This man looks like a cat toy ngl.

Like, I feel flexed on.

Look at it go. It's popping off.

Least Nighthawk

omg baby. look at it. it baby!!

And there's baby in camo mode.

Yes baby, pop off.

Also, those wings look slick af. Quality baby popping off committing crimes. Birba!!

Rufous-bellied nighthawk

That birb is such a birba. It's so cute squished up like that. Almost looks like it's wearing a little outfit or something.

And there is birba popping off in camo. Very birba. Fucking adorable.

Sickle-Winged Nightjar

That name ain't lying, that is very sickle wing.

I have no idea why its wings are like that. Wikipedia said it eats bugs and likes to glide near the ground.

Pennant-Winged Nightjar

Omg, that bird is majestic. Like, those long extra feathers are awesome.

Look at it go! That's such a striking silhouette, it looks almost like a fusion between a butterfly and a jet plane.

That guy's fucking awesome, gonna be completely honest.

Scissor-Tailed Nightjar

Omg, that this's also majestic.

Like, look at this handsome guy with that handsome ass tail. That's so pretty and awesome, holy shit.

This guy could totally pass for a dragon or some shit in fight. The silhouette is just really good and striking. Like, pop off little man.

Eared Poorwill

omg look at him!! he has whiskers!

Little man has whisker-ass-looking things. Kinda looks like a mouse or something. Baby!

Sulawesi Nightjar

I love this guy's face. That is an awesome face ngl.

Donaldson Smith's nightjar

This guy also looks like a little dragon man.

Those spiky things on the beak look cool. I have no idea whether they're just for show or are actually sharp.

I love this picture. She prowling. The wing colors and patterns are also really cool.

Star-Spotted Nightjar

She crusty.

Normally not a big fan of spots, but this one just works.

Bonaparte's nightjar

This bird kinda looks like my dog. Automatic 10/10.

[kingdenbro]

Stanlon,, they have a picnic in the summer & stanny brings his bird books and teaches mike alllll about birds

I absolutely love stanlon and would Die for Two (2) Soft Boyfriends (apologies for this being so late; life was being…., Life &&. i apologize for going off on another fuckin’ tangent)

Everyone knew. Every single one of the Losers knew that Mike and Stan were made to coexist, circling each other like one heart that was split into two chests. They fit perfectly; the subtle chaotic yet obsessively-structured soul contrasted perfectly with the patient and firm one.

But this… This, no one else knew about. This was something that was purely for Stan and Mike, a side of them that no one else deserved to see. This was their little thing, caught between the flutter of closing eyes for the late night thinkers and the waking yawn of early morning risers.

“You ready?” Mike whispered, sliding on a plaid winter jacket. The early morning August air was always harsh and nipped at exposed skin aggressively. He was leaning against his stair railing, looking towards at the top at Stan. Stan looked down at his hands, nodding frantically as a soft blush grew across his cheeks. He moved down the stairs quietly, wincing in fear of waking Mike’s parents every time the wood creaked beneath his bare feet. Mike always reassured him that they wouldn’t bother them but the fear was still there.

“Yeah,” Stan breathed, the word getting caught on the end of his tongue. He quickly slipped on his sneakers before looking up at Mike. Mike gave a gentle smile back, tightening his grip on the small basket and blanket in his hands before opening the front door. He was thankful that his parents understood that he and Stan sometimes slipped out into the dead of the night and he was even more grateful that no one ever really called it out for what it truly was. When he climbed into the driver’s side of his truck, he waited for the soft ‘twenty-three’ from Stan and the last click of the lock. He reached over to grab Stan’s hand and gave a loving grin at the sight of Stan’s sympathetic eyes.

The night drive was one of the most peaceful things that Mike grew to love. The pair of them always chose to leave the radio off, the reminder of their friends’ loud voices and off-tune singing fading to the backseat. Stan would drum his thumb against Mike’s palm and Mike would always press a gentle kiss to Stan’s cheek at every stop sign and red light. The soft blushes that grew across both of their cheeks were sights that both of them etched onto their minds, basking in the secrecy of their innocent yet powerful love.

Stan always led the way when they finally got to their destination. It was a place outside of Derry, further than Mike’s farm and even further from the chaotic lives they both lived. He would grab Mike’s free hand and lead him into the dark, letting the familiarization of the forest lead him into the forest. And Mike would always follow without a heartbeat.

Truth be told, Mike would follow Stan anywhere. The boy felt like home in a place so unwelcoming and foreign, bringing light into something so dark. He could never find himself angry at all the things that Stan once worried would anger him; they were just another part of his boy, another piece of the puzzle that completed Stanley Uris.

“Are you listening, Mike?” Stan asked impatiently without any malice in his tone. He stared up at Mike with expectant eyes and his lips curled down in a frown that mirrored a stifled grin. Mike snapped out of his trance, heat floating across his cheeks as he shook his head. He slid his arm to rest behind Stan, kicking his legs out in front of him.

“No but if you repeat it once again, I’ll promise to make sure to listen extra-hard.” Stan rolled his eyes and shifted closer to the other boy, dropping his bird book in his lap. He leaned forward and slightly to the side, his shoulder grazing along Mike’s chest. His legs were crossed with his knee resting slightly on Mike’s thigh, scrunching the blanket beneath them. Their basket - picnic basket, Stan once corrected - sat beside Mike’s other hand and a jelly sandwich rested on a plate by his other hand but it was long-forgotten due to the sight of Stan.

Stan was wrapped up in one of Mike’s older sweaters, thumbs sticking out between worn holes in the cuffs. The faded ‘Mathletes’ across Stan’s chest made Mike chuckle at the thought of Stan competing in the Baptist Church’s Mathletes competitions with him. He was wearing blue plaid pyjama bottoms, the bottom of them reaching just to the bottom of his heels. His hair was wild, the often orderly curls now astray from the early-morning winds. And his soft, quiet voice–

Oh, his voice.

“This is a Nightjar. Well, it’s a Common Poorwill but it’s apart of the nightjar family,” Stan murmured, subconsciously leaning closer to Mike. His finger grazed along the page, lip tucked between his teeth as he quickly read over the pages. Mike’s eyes flickered down to the page, wincing at the sight of the bird. “It’ll probably be one of the ones quieting down soon but it is nocturnal. Its calls are soft and like.. I don’t know how to describe it but it reminds me of your personality as a sound.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Soft but melodic? I would hope so.” Mike let out huff that sounded like a stifled chuckle, rolling his eyes as a soft blush made itself stretch across his cheeks. He leaned back towards Stan, pressing his head against Stan’s as he listened to the boy ramble about the different types of Nightjar birds habituating North America. He drummed his thumb against the blanket, feeling it catch against Stan’s sweatshirt every now and then but he couldn’t be bothered to move even in the slightest. He hummed in confirmation every time Stan asked if he was still listening.

As the sun began to rise, both of the boys were nibbling on jelly sandwiches and downing coca-cola by the bottles. Mike had his jacket situated behind him, using it as a pillow to lean his elbows back onto once he finished his food. He stared at Stan lovingly, noting how the boy always chewed seven times before swallowing and took a sip after every three bites. Mike tilted his head before opening his mouth just to clamp it back shut.

“What?”

“Why.. This place?” Mike looked around them, noting the chirp of the morning-rising birds. They were faint yet frequent in numbers, coming from the highest places in the trees. They were quite literally surrounded by tall trees, the shadows casted by the rising sun covering them.

“Because it’s where my dad and I used to come. Before he got busy and I got busy, too.” Stan looked upwards at the sky, a reminiscencing smile flickering on his face. He looked back down at Mike before reaching forward, letting his hand gently press against the side of Mike’s neck. He slowly slid his hand up until his thumb was caught below Mike’s jaw and his fingers stretched out to just beneath his ear. “And because I can do this.”

Mike let his eyes flutter shut as he felt Stan’s lips against his own. The kiss was soft and sweet, like vanilla milkshakes and first crushes. Mike smiled into the kiss as old memories flooded back upwards and he moved to wrap an arm around Stan and pull him closer. Stan yelped against Mike’s lips as he collided with the other boy’s chest, pushing him to the ground. Their lips moved against each other for what felt like forever, never making a move towards pulling away or towards getting deepened. Stan finally pulled away to draw in a deep breath, lips slightly swollen and his cheeks flushed. He pulled his hand away from Mike’s neck to rest on his chest, jutting his lip out when Mike reached forward to catch Stan’s lower lip with his thumb.

“I still need to learn more, babe. Can we come back soon?”