The common nighthawk is a medium-sized bird with long, pointed wings, short legs, and a short bill. They have a distinctive appearance with grayish-brown plumage, mottled and barred with black, white, and buff. Here are some key identifying features of the common nighthawk’s appearance:
Size and Shape
Common nighthawks are robin-sized birds, measuring around 9 to 10 inches in length (22 to 25 cm) with a wingspan of 21 to 26 inches (53 to 66 cm). They have large wings that appear pointed when folded. Their body shape is slender but rounded.
Long, Pointed Wings
The most noticeable feature of the common nighthawk is its long, pointed wings. These give the bird a very distinctive silhouette in flight. The wings are long and slender and appear almost crescent or boomerang shaped when spread in flight. This allows the nighthawk to maneuver gracefully in the air.
Short Legs and Small Bill
Common nighthawks have very short legs that are set far back on their body. Their feet are small with barely noticeable claws. Their bill is also small, short, and slightly hooked at the tip. The bill does not protrude far at all from the nighthawk’s flat head.
Plumage and Coloration
Common nighthawks have intricate patterning and coloring in their plumage that helps camouflage them. Here are some of the main elements:
Cryptic Grayish-Brown Plumage
The overall color of the common nighthawk’s plumage is muted and cryptic. Their back and wings are covered in grayish-brown feathers. This provides camouflage when the bird is sitting on the ground, tree branches, or on gravelly nest sites during the day.
Barring and Mottling
While the base color is grayish-brown, the feathers have heavy black barring across them. This gives the back and wings a distinctly mottled appearance. The barring helps break up the bird’s outline when at rest.
White Throat and Belly
The common nighthawk’s underside is not as heavily marked. The throat is white, transitioning into a pale gray belly that is finely speckled with black. The contrast helps camouflage the bird against the sky from below.
Prominent White Wing Patches
One distinctive mark of the common nighthawk is prominent white patches on the underside of its wings near the wrists. These show up clearly when the bird is in flight and are a useful identification marker.
Buff Coloring on Wings
Common nighthawks display buff-colored patches on their wings during flight. Look for buff wing bars and primary tips. There is also some buff mottling on the back that contrasts with the grayish-brown.
Identifying Features in Flight
The common nighthawk has several striking features that are visible when it is flying:
Long, Tapered Wings
In flight, the common nighthawk’s long, tapered wings are very noticeable. They give the bird a large wing area and allow for extremely graceful maneuvers in the air.
Bold White Wing Patches
Probably the most noticeable in-flight feature are the bold white patches at the wrists on the underside of the wings. These flash brightly when the bird is viewed from below.
Long, Forked Tail
The common nighthawk has a long tail that is slightly forked at the tip. It spreads the tail to help steer and maneuver.
Swift, Erratic Flight
Common nighthawks have a very fast, darting flight. They zig-zag swiftly through the air as they hunt for insects. The flight pattern is erratic with quick swoops, dives, and climbs.
Nighttime Booming
Males perform a booming display flight at night during breeding season. They plummet steeply through the air while making a loud booming sound with their wings.
Male vs Female Plumage
The male and female common nighthawk are very similar in appearance, but some subtle differences exist:
Males | Females |
---|---|
Throat buff color is paler | Throat buff is darker gray |
Barring on back and wings is heavier | Barring is sparser |
White patches on wings are larger | White patches are smaller |
Outermost primary feathers have white tips | No white on primary feather tips |
Females also tend to be slightly larger than males on average. But in the field these differences are subtle and do not provide a reliable way to distinguish males from females.
Transition Between Light and Dark Plumages
Throughout the year, the common nighthawk’s plumage transitions between two different forms. Here is what to look for:
Breeding Plumage
During the late spring and summer breeding season, the nighthawk exhibits its darkest plumage. At this time, the barring and mottling on the back and wings is very heavy and prominent. The buff, gray, and black contrasts are also more striking.
Non-Breeding Plumage
In the late fall and winter the nighthawk’s plumage becomes paler and more muted. The barring and mottling is more sparse and subdued. They lose the bold patterning of breeding season as the feathers become more worn.
Similar Species
The common nighthawk’s unique look makes it hard to confuse with other species. But here are some birds to consider when identifying:
Whip-poor-will
The whip-poor-will shares the common nighthawk’s cryptic plumage and nighttime habits. But whip-poor-wills are larger with a very large head and stubby bill. They lack the white wing patches.
Chuck-will’s-widow
Chuck-will’s-widows are also active at night like the nighthawk. But they have rusty plumage, bold black and buff striping on the underside, and lack white patches.
Nightjars
Other nightjar relatives like the common poorwill lack the long pointed wings and wing patches of the common nighthawk. They have shorter rounded wings.
Conclusion
With its cryptic but complex plumage, long slender wings, and distinctive white patches, the common nighthawk has a very unique appearance among North American birds. Looking for identifying features like wing shape, plumage patterns, and flight style will help properly identify the nighthawk.