Nighthawk Download Pc
Ezra Lees
The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, native to the western hemisphere. The term "nighthawk", first recorded in the King James Bible of 1611, was originally a local name in England for the European nightjar. Its use in the Americas to refer to members of the genus Chordeiles and related genera was first recorded in 1778.[1]
Nighthawks are medium-sized birds with long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They usually nest on the ground. They feed on flying insects. The least nighthawk, at 16 centimetres (6.3 in) and 23 grams (0.81 oz), is the smallest of all Caprimulgiformes.
In October 2018, the University of Alberta published research on the common nighthawk revealing that it travels 20,000 kilometres every year during migration between the rainforests and savannas of Brazil and its breeding grounds in northern Alberta. [2]
Look for Common Nighthawks flying in looping patterns in mornings and evenings. During the day, they roost motionless on a tree branch, fencepost, or the ground and are very difficult to see. When migrating or feeding over insect-rich areas such as lakes or well-lit billboards, nighthawks may gather in large flocks. Their buzzy, American Woodcock-like peent call is distinctive.
The common nighthawk, as its name would imply, is neither a hawk nor is it strictly nocturnal. A mottled gray, brown and black bird with large black eyes; it is distinguished from other members of the nightjar family primarily by its call which is a single, nasal peent. Measuring 8-10 inches, the common nighthawk is cryptically colored with a long, forked tail; long, pointed wings; and broad white wing bars that are visible during flight. It has a short, slightly decurved bill and a large, gaping mouth. Sexes are similar but the female has smaller white wing patches and lacks the white tail-stripe characteristic of the male.
A neotropical migrant, the common nighthawk has one of the longest migration routes of any North American bird. Commonly migrating in large flocks, it is a late arrival to breeding grounds in the spring, and makes an early departure in the fall. Females usually begin to arrive at their breeding grounds in small groups around late May and early June a few days before males.
The common nighthawk will nest on bare substrate such as sand, dirt, gravel, or bare rock. In urban areas they will commonly nest on the roofs of buildings. In New York, this species is a widespread but local breeder that utilizes a variety of open habitats that include coastal dunes and beaches, forest clearings, and gravel roof tops. Wintering habitat is not well documented but does include open areas similar to those used during the breeding season.
Research is needed to evaluate the causes of decline for this species. Factors potentially contributing to this decline include habitat loss, pesticide use, and the switch from gravel roofs to rubbers roofs in many urban areas. Management practices such as placing gravel pads in the corners of non-gravel roofs and burning and clear cutting patches have had some success in attracting breeding common nighthawks. The wintering range and migration routes of this species are poorly understood and require further study.
One of three species of the family Caprimulgidae (nightjars or "goatsuckers") that have been documented in Wyoming. (The others being the lesser nighthawk and the common poorwill.) The common nighthawk is a medium-sized, long-winged bird (about a 24 inch wingspan) with a very short (but wide) beak and large eyes. Nighthawks and other members of the family have very short legs, which are nearly useless in walking.
- Members of this family are crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn) or are active at night. During the day, the bird can often be found roosted on the tops of wooden fence posts, or in areas of sparse vegetation on the ground. They are wonderfully cryptic, and may be approached very closely before they take flight if one is careful. There common name is derived from their propensity for feeding in low light conditions and their vague resemblance to hawks.
- Caprimulgids were once thought to steal the milk of goats, hence the name goatsucker. The feed exclusively on flying insects, which they capture in flight with their wide mouths. Feeding occurs primarily at dusk and dawn.
- Common nighthawks nest in open areas on bare ground or gravel, laying one to two heavily patterned, camouflaged eggs. Young hatch after about 18 days, are fed by both parents, and are in flight and feeding themselves by about 25 days.
- A few members of this family enter a period of torpor during winter months, similar to hibernation in mammals. They hide themselves in rocks and have long periods of inactivity. The common poorwill displays this behavior and there is some evidence that common nighthawks may occasionally enter a state of torpor. Common nighthawks migrate in large flocks annually from summer range to winter ranges in the south, some as much as 4500 miles. This migration is one of the longest in the western hemisphere.
- In rural America, especially in Appalachia, this bird is often referred to as a "bull bat," derived from the fact it is active and flying when bats are active, and the "booming" or roaring sound (similar to the bellow of a bull) produced by wind passing through the male nighthawk's primary wing feathers during diving courtship displays. The call of the nighthawk is a rapidly repeated nasal peeent!
FEATURES
The common nighthawk averages nine and one-half inches in length (tail tip to bill tip in preserved specimen). Its gray-brown feathers have a white bar on each wing, easily seen as the bird is flying. The male has a white bar on the tail and a white patch on the throat that are not present on the female. The bill is tiny, but the mouth is large.
A new study led by Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and University of Alberta biologists has created a comprehensive picture of the 10,000 kilometer migratory route of common nighthawks using GPS data. The study, published Feb. 2 in Ecography, is the first step in analyzing where and why nighthawk population numbers are declining.
The project brought together researchers from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, University of Alberta and Environment and Climate Change Canada in a massive collaboration across 13 locations throughout North America. During the summer months, the researchers fitted common nighthawks in North America with small backpacks equipped with GPS transmitters. The researchers sought a complete picture of common nighthawk migratory connectivity, which is the degree to which birds from separate populations stick together during their migrations.
Common nighthawks breed in North America but migrate in the fall up to 10,000 kilometers south to the Amazon and Cerrado biomes of South America. The birds make numerous stops along their journey, and GPS tracking allows biologists to understand where and when they are spending their time outside of their breeding areas.
A new study has created a comprehensive picture of the 10,000 kilometer migratory route of common nighthawks using GPS data. In this photo, a common nighthawk is shown pre-release with a GPS transmitter.
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