Night-hawk

The night-hawk (Hebrew tachmac) appears in the lists of unclean birds in Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 — birds forbidden as food to Israelites. The precise identification of the Hebrew term is uncertain and has been rendered variously as night-hawk, owl, or short-eared owl by different translators. Whatever the exact species, the bird belongs to the category of nocturnal raptors or insect-hunters whose habits and diet made them ritually unclean according to the Mosaic Law. The clean/unclean animal distinction in Leviticus served both to set Israel apart from surrounding peoples and to instill habits of discrimination and holiness in everyday life.