General Description: Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) are medium-sized, mottled gray birds of the night. The wings are long, narrow, and pointed, with a white bar across the wing. The white bar is about halfway between the wrist and the tip of the wing (in Lesser Nighthawks, the white wing-bar is closer to the tip). The tail is deeply forked.

Males and females differ. Males have a white throat patch and a broad white bar across the end of tail. Females have a buffy throat patch and lack the broad white bar on the tail.

Common Nighthawks usually fly at dusk and at night catching moths and other insects in the dark, but they sometimes can be seen flying high above the ground during the day. In particular, males display during the day where they "peent" and dive sharply to catch wind in their tail feathers and make a buzzing noise.

Poorwills also fly at night, but their wings are all brown, and the call is "poor-will."

Taxonomy: Caprimulgiformes, Caprimulgidae, Chordeilinae.

Favored Habitat: Open desert; also nest on flat urban roofs.

Where to Find: Look for Common Nighthawk in the open sky where they sometimes can be seen high above the ground. Lesser Nighthawks usually fly quite close to the ground (below shrub level).

Comments: Common Nighthawks usually sleep during the day on horizontal tree branches or urban roofs, but they like fence rails too.

Note: Most of these photos were taken in Oregon, far north of the range of Lesser Nighthawks.