Like a Nighthawk

Blog Category
Discover Nature Notes
Published Display Date
Sep 07, 2015
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Nighthawks are not “hawks” and also fly during daylight hours. Their loud calls will jar the night.

Nighthawks are brown with a white mark on the underside of each wing that can be seen when they fly. Nighthawks have an erratic flight like a bat with quick flaps, glides and darting movements. During summer, nighthawks fly around lights in pursuit of flying insects. Their large gaping mouths help them capture prey in mid-air, while long whiskers around their mouths help them locate insects.

In September waves of nighthawks pass through during their fall migration to South America. Keep an eye toward the evening sky this month, and you may see the bull-bats passing by.

Nighthawk Notes

  • Nighthawks are easy to identify from their call—a harsh, nasal “peent”—and from their darting, swooping flight. Look for them around streetlights, and also above native prairies and Ozark glades.
  • One of the signs of autumn in Missouri is the southward migration of common nighthawks.
  • Nighthawks will be largely out of Missouri by mid-October and will return next year in late April.
  • Their overall flight habit and the broad white patch on their wings distinguishes nighthawks from similarly sized birds.
  • They make no nest but will lay their eggs directly on soil, on stumps or on gravel of rooftops. They will perch on branches with their bodies aligned with the branch, instead of perpendicular to the branch as most birds do. This aids in concealment, making them look like a part of the branch.

Explore Missouri’s outdoors after dark with MDC’s Nature’s Night Shift.

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