With their famous songs and nocturnal lives, nightjars are among the most iconic birds in the U.S. For centuries, they’ve shaped our songs, poetry, and literature. For many of us, nightjars like Eastern Whip-poor-wills, Common Nighthawks, and Common Poorwill also root us in the places we call home. But despite their importance, nightjar numbers are declining. Most birders sense this, as it’s becoming more and more difficult to see and hear them. Based on research for his in-progress book on Whip-poor-wills, cultural sociologist Jared Del Rosso takes you behind the legend, lore, and lives of America’s nightjars. By relearning these, Del Rosso hopes we might deepen our connections to local landscapes, cultural histories, and this threatened family of birds.
Archival Illustration: Mark Catesby, 1754. The painting is inaccurate, but it’s what passed for one of the first – perhaps the first – painting of a Whip-poor-will. At the time, and really through much of the 18th century,people didn’t always distinguish among the nightjars.
Jared Del Rosso; photo by Jennifer Esala
Jared Del Rosso is a cultural sociologist in the Department of Sociology & Criminology at the University of Denver. He is also an avid birder and a nightjar enthusiast, who is currently writing a book for New York University Press on nightjars in U.S. culture. His essays on birds have been published by the National Audubon Society, the Center for Humans & Nature, and The Conversation. Visit his website lonesomewhippoorwill.com for more about his forthcoming book on Whip-poor-wills.
In-Person Gathering - BCAS welcomes everyone back to in-person programs at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder. Doors open at 7 PM for socializing and the program begins at 7:15. While the church is no longer requiring masks, we encourage you to wear your favorite high-quality mask, and we will provide free surgical masks for anyone who needs one. Please stay home if you feel sick, and watch the program on Zoom!
Online Gathering - The meeting room will open at 7:10, and the program starts at 7:15. Questions for the speaker will be taken from the chat feature of the Zoom session.
Online access info will be posted here by the day of the program.