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Never forage at night
- Though they forage in low light, they seem to locate prey by sight, possibly with the help of a structure in their eyes that reflects light back to the retina to improve their night vision. They occasionally forage during the day in stormy weather, but seem to never forage at night.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_nighthawk/lifehistory
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Nighthawks are also vulnerable to being hit by cars as they forage over roads or roost on roadways at night. People have had some success creating nesting habitat by placing gravel pads in the corners of rubberized roofs and by burning and clearing patches of forest to create open nesting sites.
Common Nighthawks are easiest to see in flight at dawn and dusk as they forage for aerial insects. Pick a high overlook with a good view of a river, if possible. In towns, look for nighthawks over brightly lit areas such as billboards, stadium lights, and streetlights.
Similar in size to a Nightjar, but with larger white wing markings, the Common Nighthawk is a very rare visitor from North America. Within its native range, the Common Nighthawk is migratory, breeding in North America south of the tundra, and wintering across much of South America.
Though they forage in low light, they seem to locate prey by sight, possibly with the help of a structure in their eyes that reflects light back to the retina to improve their night vision. They occasionally forage during the day in stormy weather.
- Population Threats
- Population Number
- Ecological Niche
The major threats to this species' population are alteration and loss of habitat. Another concern is the population decline of insect species due to the widespread use of insecticides, climatic fluctuations at breeding sites, and during migration and collisions with motor vehicles. Other threats include fire suppression, intensive agriculture with ...
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Common nighthawk is 23,000,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
Common nighthawks control populations of prey species they feed upon. In addition, they compete for food with lesser nighthawks and bats.
Threats to this interesting bird include pesticide use — leading to reduction in the insects the nighthawks forage on — and habitat loss. Common Nighthawks are also vulnerable to collisions with cars, since they forage over roads and sometimes roost on roadways at night.
The Common Nighthawk feeds on flying insects, particularly beetles, bees, ants, wasps, butterflies, and moths. It hunts at high altitudes or in open areas and is rarely observed feeding at night. Conservation status. The Common Nighthawk is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
