Common Nighthawk

An active night bird with white wing and tail patches. Grayer below than the smaller Antillean Nighthawk, but usually distinguished by its single call note "peeent." Audio 2 (M. Oberle). Length: 22-24 cm.; weight: 65-98 g. Breeds in North America. A spring and fall visitor to the West Indies on migration to South America. However, it is difficult to identify since it is generally quiet on migration.

TAXONOMY: CAPRIMULGIFORMES; CAPRIMULGIDAE; Chordeilinae

Photo: G. Beaton

References

Arendt, W.J. 1992. Status of North American migrant landbirds in the Caribbean region: a summary. Pp. 143-171 in Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds (J.M. Hagan III and D.W. Johnston, eds.) Smithsonian Instit. Press, Washington, D.C.

Bent, A.C. 1940. Life histories of North American cuckoos, goatsuckers, hummingbirds and their allies. Smithsonian Instit. U.S. National Museum Bull. 176. (Reprinted by Dover Press, NY, 1964).

Cleere, N. and D. Nurney. 1998. Nightjars: a guide to nightjars and related nightbirds. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, UK.

del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, eds. 1999. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 5. Barn Owls to Hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Line, L. 1998. Goatsuckers get some respect. National Wildlife 37(5):48-51.

Poulin, R. G., S. D. Grindal, and R. M. Brigham. 1996. Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor). No. 213 in The birds of North America (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia, PA, and Am. Ornithol. Union, Washington, D.C.

Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton.

Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR.

Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton.

Common Nighthawk, Spanish text

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