'Goatsucker' makes comeback

CONSERVATION EFFORTS HAS ENSURED ELUSIVE NIGHTJAR POPULATION DOUBLES IN PARK

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THE elusive nightjar, nicknamed the “goatsucker”, has made a “remarkable comeback” in the South Downs National Park following conservation efforts.

The population of the camouflaged bird, known for its “churring” song at sunset, is estimated to have doubled in the past five years with 78 recorded last year.

An ecological survey also found 109 nightjar territories - the highest number recorded - in the Special Protection Area in the lowland heaths of east Hampshire which includes Woolmer Forest and the commons of Shortheath, Bramshott, Ludshott, Broxhead and Kingsley.

A spokesman for the South Downs National Park authority said: “They are one of Britain’s most elusive birds, known for their ‘churring’ song when darkness falls and a supernatural reputation thanks to their mythical ability to steal milk from goats.

“Now the nightjar is making a remarkable comeback in the South Downs National Park, thanks to nature recovery efforts and better habitat management.”