Life List 090
Visually documented
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
- First photographed
- June 27, 2026
- First location
- Utah, United States
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
An evolving study
Common Nighthawk portfolio
This collection grows as I return to photograph new behavior, habitat, seasons, and stages of life.
Natural history
Species at a glance
Chordeiles minor
Overview
The Common Nighthawk is a crepuscular aerial insectivore that patrols evening skies on long, angular wings. Its booming courtship sound is produced when air rushes through the primary feathers during a steep dive.
Identification
Cryptic mottled gray-brown plumage, long pointed wings with a bold white bar near the tip, and a notched tail. In flight it appears buoyant and erratic, often giving a nasal peent call.
Range
Breeds across much of Canada and the United States and locally through Mexico and Central America. It migrates to South America, with many wintering in the Amazon region.
Habitat
Open forest, grassland, prairie, wetlands, recently burned areas, gravel rooftops, and urban airspace with open ground for nesting.
Diet
Flying insects captured on the wing, including moths, beetles, flies, mosquitoes, and winged ants.
Photography by Brittany Templin