The common nighthawk is a fascinating bird that belongs to the family of nightjars. This bird can be found throughout most of North and South America, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. In this blog post, we will delve into more detail about this intriguing species.
Basic Description
The common nighthawk is a medium-sized bird that measures between 8-10 inches in length with a wingspan of up to 24 inches. It has long pointed wings and short legs with small feet. The plumage coloration varies from brownish-gray on the upperparts to pale gray or white on the underparts. Both males and females have striking white bands across their wings when they are in flight.
Where To Find This Bird
Common nighthawks can be found throughout much of North and South America during their breeding season which runs from June through September. During migration periods, they can also be seen in other areas such as southern Florida where they stop over before continuing their journey southward.
Habitat
Common nighthawks prefer open habitats such as grasslands, deserts and savannas for nesting purposes whereas during migration periods they tend to spend time in urban areas too eventually returning back towards their preferred habitat once again.
Food
These birds feed mainly on insects such as moths, beetles and flying ants which they catch while flying at dusk or dawn using their wide mouths full of bristles known as rictal bristles located around the bill’s edge acting like nets catching all sorts of bugs while midflight!
Cool Facts
Did you know that Common Nighthawks are also known by other names? Some call them mosquito hawks due to eating so many mosquitoes & gnats while others refer to them as bull bats or goatsuckers because of their odd habit of hovering close to livestock at night due to the insects that are attracted by these animals.
Overall, the common nighthawk is a unique and intriguing bird with many fascinating characteristics. Its ability to catch insects while flying and its striking white bands in flight make it both an interesting and important species in our ecosystem.
