Common Nighthawk

Chordeiles minor (JR Forster, 1771) COMNI 7860
Family: Caprimulgiformes > Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk, Toby Carter

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.

A good proportion of the British & Irish records come from the Isles of Scilly.

Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Common Nighthawk

  • Breeding
  • Winter
95 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
95 records

BTO RECORDS

95 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
95 records

BTO RECORDS

Identification

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Status and Trends

Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.

CONSERVATION STATUS

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

POPULATION SIZE

We have no population estimates for this scarce species.

DISTRIBUTION

This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Common Nighthawk winter distribution 2008-11
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

DISTRIBUTION CHANGE

This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

Movement

Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

RINGING RECOVERIES

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information about Common Nighthawk, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.

BIOMETRICS

Sample sizes are too small to report Biometrics for this species.

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Welsh: Cudylldroellwr
Catalan: enganyapastors americà
Czech: lelek sokolí
Danish: Nathøg
Dutch: Amerikaanse Nachtzwaluw
Estonian: videvikusorr
Finnish: isohaukkakehrääjä
French: Engoulevent d’Amérique
German: Falkennachtschwalbe
Hungarian: estifecske
Icelandic: Húmfari
Italian: Succiacapre sparviere
Latvian: Amerikas lelis
Lithuanian: paprastasis sutemu lelys
Norwegian: Nordnatthauk
Polish: lelczyk maly
Portuguese: bacurau-norte-americano
Slovak: súmracník krahulcí
Slovenian: severnoameriški legen
Spanish: Añapero yanqui
Swedish: större falknattskärra

Links to more information from ConservationEvidence.com

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