Photo: Gavin Keefe Schaefer / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) — Nightjars & Allies of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 79.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Caprimulgiformes
- Family Caprimulgidae Nightjars
- Genus Chordeiles
- Species minor
Quick facts
- Weight
- 79.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Nighthawk is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Common Nighthawk is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is a species of bird in the Caprimulgidae family, part of the order Caprimulgiformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 79.3 g, with a wing length of about 19.3 cm and a tail of around 10.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 13 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Nighthawk?
The Common Nighthawk is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 79.3 g.
Where does the Common Nighthawk live?
The Common Nighthawk is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Common Nighthawk belong to?
The Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.
What does the Common Nighthawk eat?
The Common Nighthawk is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Common Nighthawk migrate?
The Common Nighthawk is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Common Nighthawk endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Nighthawk make?
1 real field recording of the Common Nighthawk — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Nighthawk's range?
The Common Nighthawk has a mapped global range of about 13 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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