The American Goatsuckers: Legend, Lore and the Lives of Our Nightjars – Dead of Winter Knowledge Quest with Jared Del Rosso

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 and Common Nighthawks 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.

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. His writing on birds and culture has been published by Audubon, the Center for Humans & Nature, and The Conversation. Visit his website lonesomewhippoorwill.com for more about his forthcoming book on Whip-poor-wills.

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