The Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is a medium-sized crepuscular or nocturnal bird of the Americas. The presence and identity of these birds are best revealed by their vocalization. Typically dark, displaying cryptic coloration and intricate patterns, they are difficult to spot with the naked eye during the day. This bird is most conspicuous when in its buoyant and erratic flight.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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Pursuit predatorPursuit predation is a form of predation in which predators actively give chase to their prey, either solitarily or as a group. Pursuit predators r...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThis medium-sized bird has large, flattened head and long, narrow, pointed wings. The bill of Common nighthawks is small while the mouth and eyes are large. The long tail is notched and brown with buff bands. Across the long feathers, bordering the wings, the bird has wide white stripe, which is visible when flying. The throat band of female nighthawks is buff-colored whereas that of males is white. In addition, male nighthawks have a white stripe near the tip of the tail. Juveniles can be identified by the absence of buff-colored or white throat band.
The area of their distribution covers nearly all of North America, including all provinces and territories of Canada, except Nunavut. They also nest in some parts of Central America and, possibly, in southeastern Columbia. While migrating, these birds have been reported traveling through middle America, Florida, the West Indies, Cuba, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, finally completing their journey in the wintering grounds of South America, primarily Argentina. Common nighthawks occur mainly in open, vegetation-free terrains such as recently harvested forests, burnt-over and logged areas, lakeshores, river banks and beaches, dunes, rocky outcrops and rocky barrens, peat bogs, swamps, grasslands, prairies, savannas, and pastures. These birds can also be found in mixed and coniferous forests.
Common nighthawks are very territorial with males, fiercely defending their territory by diving at any intruders. The males of this species may roost together but these birds are primarily solitary. Common nighthawk hunts on the wing for extended periods at high altitudes or in open areas. Crepuscular, flying insects are its preferred food source. The hunt ends as dusk becomes night, and resumes when night becomes dawn. Nighttime feeding (in complete darkness) is rare, even on evenings with a full moon. The rest of the time they spend sleeping or roosting. In addition, they tend to sunbathe on tree branches, the ground, flat rooftops, or fence posts. With their horizontal stance and short legs, Common nighthawks do not travel frequently on the ground, instead preferring to perch horizontally, parallel to branches, on posts, on the ground, or on a roof. There are no differences between the calls and songs of the Common nighthawk. The most conspicuous vocalization is a nasal ‘peent’ or ‘beernt’ during flight. Peak vocalizations are reported 30 to 45 minutes after sunset. A croaking ‘auk auk auk’ is vocalized by males while in the presence of a female during courtship. Another courtship sound, thought to be made solely by the males, is the boom, created by air rushing through the primaries after a quick downward flex of the wings during a daytime dive. In defense of their nests, females make a rasping sound, and males clap their wings together. Common nighthawks migrate by day or night in loose flocks, frequently numbering in the thousands; flocks have not been observed with a visible leader. As aerial insectivores, the migrants will feed en route, congregating to hunt in marshes, rivers, and lakeshores. They travel huge distances, leaving for South America in September and wintering there. They return to their northernmost breeding grounds in Yukon Territory (North-western Canada) only at the beginning of June.
Common nighthawks are carnivores (insectivores). They feed mainly upon beetles, queen ants, mosquitoes, and true bugs. They can also consume insects such as grasshoppers, wasps, moths, flies, mayflies, caddis flies as well as crickets.
Common nighthawks are monogamous and form pairs. The breeding season lasts from mid-March to the beginning of October. The female usually lays 2 eggs at the interval of 1-2 days, incubating the eggs for 18-20 days. The chicks are semi-precocial, starting to respond to their mother's call within the first day of their lives. In the evenings, the female leaves the nesting site to forage. The hatchlings feed upon regurgitated insects. At the age of 16 days, they are able to hop while the first flight is at 18 days old. At 25-25 days old, the young can fly well, and by the age of 30 days, they leave the nest. The young are fully developed at 45-50 days old, joining flocks of migrating nighthawks.
The major threats to this species' population are alteration and loss of habitat. Another concern is the population decline of insect species due to the widespread use of insecticides, climatic fluctuations at breeding sites, and during migration and collisions with motor vehicles. Other threats include fire suppression, intensive agriculture with reforestation of abandoned agricultural fields and harvested forests, and reduction of flat rooftops, covered with gravel.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Common nighthawk is 23,000,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
Common nighthawks control populations of prey species they feed upon. In addition, they compete for food with lesser nighthawks and bats.