Common Nighthawk roosting on a porch railing, Malheur Field Station, Oregon

Five Views of a Common Nighthawk


They aren’t “common” at all. They have a widespread range, from northern Yukon Territory and the northern Canadian Maritimes to Florida and southern New Mexico. But within that range, they can sometimes be quite hard to find. And in other places ubiquitous. They aren’t really a “nighthawk.” They don’t forage at night. They are crepuscular,…