The Four Keys to ID
- Size & Shape
Common Nighthawks are medium-sized, slender birds with very long, pointed wings and medium-long tails. Only the small tip of the bill is usually visible, and this combined with the large eye and short neck gives the bird a big-headed look.
Relative Size
Slightly smaller than an American Kestrel; larger than a Purple Martin.
between robin and crowMeasurements
- Both Sexes
- Length: 8.7-9.4 in (22-24 cm)
- Weight: 2.3-3.5 oz (65-98 g)
- Wingspan: 20.9-22.4 in (53-57 cm)
© Jane Mann / Macaulay Library
- Color Pattern
Common Nighthawks are well camouflaged in gray, white, buff, and black. The long, dark wings have a striking white blaze about two-thirds of the way out to the tip. In flight, a V-shaped white throat patch contrasts with the rest of the bird’s mottled plumage.
© Cameron Rutt / Macaulay Library - Behavior
Look for Common Nighthawks flying in looping patterns in mornings and evenings. During the day, they roost motionless on a tree branch, fencepost, or the ground and are very difficult to see. When migrating or feeding over insect-rich areas such as lakes or well-lit billboards, nighthawks may gather in large flocks. Their buzzy, American Woodcock-like peent call is distinctive.
- Habitat
Common Nighthawks are most visible when they forage on the wing over open areas near woods or wetlands. They nest on the ground in open areas such as gravel bars, forest clearings, coastal sand dunes, or sparsely vegetated grasslands.
© Matt Hofeditz / Macaulay Library
Regional Differences
Eastern birds are browner than those from the northern Great Plains, which are silvery gray overall.
