Common Nighthawk

(Chordeiles minor)

Conservation Status
Common Nighthawk
Photo by Lynn Rubey
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5B - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

SNRB - Unranked Breeding

 
  Minnesota

not listed

Species in Greatest Conservation Need

 
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Size

 
 

8½ to 10 in length

24 wingspan

 
     
 

Voice

 
   
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Breeding: Forest openings, bogs, rocky outcroppings, beaches, gravel roofs

Migration: Anywhere with large numbers of insects

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Migration

 
 

Mid-April to mid-October

 
     
 

Nesting

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

Mostly flying ants, beetles, and true bugs. Also moths, mayflies, caddisflies, flies, wasps, crickets, grasshoppers, and other insects.

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common migrant and breeder

 
         
 

Maps

 
 

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Aves (birds)  
 

Order

Caprimulgiformes (nightjars, swifts, hummingbirds, and allies)  
 

Family

Caprimulgidae (nightjars and nighthawks)  
 

Genus

Chordeiles (typical nighthawks)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Anserri Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor aserriensis)

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor neotropicalis)

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor panamensis)

Florida Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor chapmani)

Howell’s Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor howelli)

Northern Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor minor)

Pacific Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor hesperis)

Sennett’s Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor sennetti)

Western Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor henryi)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Caprimulgus minor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Lynn Rubey

 
 

An adult male Common Nighthawk perched on a branch on the granite outcroppings in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County. Females have a tan neck markings instead of white, females also lack the white tail band.

  Common Nighthawk  
           
 

An adult male Common Nighthawk in flight this one circled overhead until I backed away so I avoided the area so not to upset the Common Nighthawk. This one has the white tail band that one can see in flight. In The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County on the granite outcropping.

  Common Nighthawk  
           
    Common Nighthawk    
           
 

The Adult Male Common Nighthawk is a nocturnal bird belonging to the Nightjar family, even though it appeared to be sleeping it kept an eye on me walking down to the dock in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. Its intracate color pattern enables this bird to blend in with its surrounding. A wildlife officer was kind enough to let me know where this one was hanging out at.

  Common Nighthawk  
           
    Common Nighthawk   Common Nighthawk  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           

 

Camera

 

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Common Nighthawk
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
 
  Common Nighthawk  
  Common Nighthawk
JMC Nature Photos
 
  Common Nighthawk  
  Have you heard the sound of the Common Nighthawk?
aparlement2
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Oct 1, 2011

http://www.videobash.com

Macaulay Library Curator Greg Budney shares a close encounter he had with a Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) as it called & produced sizzling wing sounds just over his head.

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Common Nighthawk - Antelope Island State Park
Stoil Ivanov
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 25, 2013

Common Nighthawk ( Chordeiles minor ) Filmed at Antelope Island State Park Utah on 6-10-2013 . I found this bird on a rock pile and had to climb on top of a rock to shoot little jitter in the video.

   
  Chordeiles minor
Oscar Ramírez
 
   
 
About

Published on Mar 9, 2014

Chordeiles minor, Common Nighthawk

   
  Common Nighthawk
Jan Dolphijn
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Apr 26, 2009

http://www.avibirds.com/euhtml/Common_Nighthawk.html

   
  Common Nighthawk
Andrew Reago
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 19, 2012

Mike Thelen discovered this Common NIghthawk perched upon a tree blowing in the wind at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis Missouri on 8/19/12. What a delight! Thanks Mike, this video is for you. There are some very intimate/private moments where the bird 'shats' in this video that are quite intriguing and highly recommended viewing.

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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Be sure to include a location.
 
  Lynn Rubey
6/9/2020

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

An adult male Common Nighthawk perched on a branch on the granite outcroppings in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County. Females have a tan neck markings instead of white, females also lack the white tail band.

Yellow-headed Blackbird  
  Lynn Rubey
8/9/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

The Adult Male Common Nighthawk is a nocturnal bird belonging to the Nightjar family, even though it appeared to be sleeping it kept an eye on me walking down to the dock in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. Its intracate color pattern enables this bird to blend in with its surrounding. A wildlife officer was kind enough to let me know where this one was hanging out at.

Yellow-headed Blackbird  
  Big Wegs
8/19/2018

Location: Duluth, MN

Thousands are flying this evening. I believe their migration funnels them through Duluth because they won’t fly over Lake Superior.

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

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