Birds Guide

Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae   Subfamily: Chordeilinae
Genera
Nyctiprogne Podager Lurocalis Chordeiles

Nighthawks are birds of the nightjar family in the New World subfamily Chordeilinae.

They are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground and catch flying insects. Nightjars are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats (the Latin for goatsucker is Caprimulgus).

Nighthawks have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is crypically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. Some species, unusual for birds, perch along a branch, rather than across it. This helps to conceal them during the day. They lay two patterned eggs directly onto bare ground.

They are mostly active in the late evening and early morning or at night, and feed predominantly on moths and other large flying insects.

Nighthawks are similar in most respects to the nightjars of the Old World, but have shorter bills and less soft plumage. Nighthawks are less strictly nocturnal than many Old World nightjars, and may be seen hunting when there is still light in the sky.

Species

• Band-tailed Nighthawk, Nyctiprogne leucopyga
  Nacunda Nighthawk, Podager nacunda
  Rufous-bellied Nighthawk Lurocalis rufiventris
  Short-tailed Nighthawk, Lurocalis semitorquatus
  Antillean Nighthawk, Chordeiles gundlachii
  Lesser Nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis
  Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor
  Least Nighthawk, Chordeiles pusillus
  Sand-colored Nighthawk, Chordeiles rupestris