Nighthawk Information

Here are some interesting facts about our mascot!

Image Courtesy of Washtenaw Audubon Society.
(Click on image for larger picture)

Scientific name: Chordeiles minor

Description
Blue Jay-sized, usually seen in flight.  Dark with long, pointed wings and white patches on the outer wing.  Perches motionless and lengthwise on branches.

Voice
Loud, nasal, buzzy "peent" or "pee-yah."

Habitat
Aerial, but open country generally; also cities and towns.

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Range
Canada to Panama and the West Indies; winters in South America.

Additional Information
The Nighthawk's name is somewhat inappropriate, since it is not strictly nocturnal, often flying in sunlight, and it is not a hawk, although it does "hawk." or catch flying insects on the wing.  On its breeding grounds the male does a power dive, and then, as it swerves upward, makes a booming sound with its wings.  Its capacity to catch insects is prodigious.  Analysis of stomach contents has shown that in a single day one bird captured over 500 mosquitoes and another ate 2,175 flying ants.

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