Among the last of our summer residents to arrive, common nighthawks are also among the first to leave. Dependent solely on flying insects for nutrition, they take no chances will our fickle Midwest weather and begin drifting south by late August; unlike other nightjars that winter in the southern U.S. or Mexico, common nighthawks make the round trip journey to South America each year.
Easily identified by their long, bent wings, large white wing patches, halting flight and sharp "peent" call, they are frequently seen hunting for insects over our cities and towns; despite their name, they may be active at any time of day, especially after heavy rains send swarms of insects into the air. In late spring, they nest on the ground (in open woodlands) or on flat roofs in urban areas, generally raising a pair of youngsters.
It is during their late summer migration, which peaks from late August into mid September, that common nighthawks are most numerous; large, scattered flocks, circling toward the south, are often observed on calm evenings.
