CHANGES IN NIGHTJAR CAPRIMULGUS-EUROPAEUS POPULATIONS IN UPLAND FORESTS IN YORKSHIRE

The Nightjar populations of Yorkshire's upland forests have grown sign ificantly during recent years, probably as a result of a concurrent in crease in the available area of suitable habitat due to forest managem ent. In common with other populations if appears that the birds utiliz e younger more open plantations. Comparison, based on discriminant ana lysis, of the habitat characteristics of forest plantations occupied a nd unoccupied by Nightjars suggests two things. First, that birds are move likely to occupy larger rather than smaller clearings and, second , that the study populations are close to their maxima. However, with continuing rotational felling, the area should continue to support a s imilar population.