Bird Word: Diurnal

• Diurnal: a bird species that is active by day, the opposite of nocturnal.

Most birds are diurnal. Which is just as well because I like my sleep. That’s probably why I don’t see many owls or nightjars and other nocturnal birds. Most birds are very active during the day and I find them irresistible to watch as they go about their daily activities. Regular readers of this blog will already know that I am constantly on the lookout for interesting bird happenings in our garden. I love sharing these events with all who read this blog.

Another benefit in the fact that most birds are diurnal is that it makes bird photography so much easier. That’s a lazy birder speaking. It could also account for why I do not have many photos of birds taken at night. In fact, the tally stands at zero.

I do have a lovely photo of a nocturnal bird however. A friend showed me where a Spotted Nightjar was roosting, and I managed to get the photo shown below.

Spotted Nightjar