The Goatsuckers by Ken _Gilliland

Poser • Animals • posted on Oct 20, 2015

Open full image in new tab Zoom on image

Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.

Members remain the original copyright holder in all their materials here at Renderosity. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth is prohibited and is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise.

Description

I had hoped to have my latest bird project done by now for Halloween renders but I've bogged down in complex textures and details. Nonetheless, I at least have a Halloween render of the European Nightjar or "Goatsucker"... The European Nightjar is highly migratory; breeding across most of Europe eastwards through temperate Asia and wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. They eat moths, beetles, mantises, mayflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers and crickets, lacewings, caddisflies and flies by opening their mouths wide and catching them in mid-air. It's species name "Caprimulgus" and it's old name common name, "goatsucker" both refer to the myth, old even in the time of Aristotle, that nightjars suckled from nanny goats, which subsequently ceased to give milk or went blind. This ancient belief is reflected in nightjar names in other European languages, such as German "Ziegenmelker" and Italian "succiacapre", but despite its antiquity, it has no equivalents in Arab, Chinese or Hindu traditions. It is likely that the birds were attracted by insects around domestic animals, and, as strange nocturnal creatures, were then blamed for any misfortune that befell the beast. Another old name, "puckeridge", was used to refer to both the bird and a disease of farm animals, the latter actually caused by botfly larvae under the skin."Lich fowl" (corpse bird) is an old name which reflects the superstitions that surrounded this strange nocturnal bird. Like "gabble ratchet" (corpse hound), it may refer to the belief that the souls of unbaptized children were doomed to wander in nightjar form until Judgement Day. Rendered in Poser 2014 without any postwork. Models include the DAZ Cyclorama and my European Nightjar from "Songbird ReMix Frogmouths, Nightjars and Goatsuckers"