Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor
Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor
General Description
Sexes similar in size and plumage. Has flat head with large eyes; small bill but large mouth. Long, slender wings and white spot on primaries. Pronounced barring on abdomen and sides.
Distribution
Montana Range
Migration
In the Bozeman area, normal migration periods are June 3 to 15 and September 1 to 25, with the fall peak on September 10.
Habitat
During breeding season, habitat includes coastal sand dunes and beaches, woodland clearings, prairies and plains, and flat gravel rooftops of city buildings. During times of migration, habitat includes farmlands, river valleys, marshes, and coastal dunes.
Food Habits
Diet consists solely of flying insects.
Ecology
Near Fortine, the numbers were reported to be much reduced from 1940 to 1975.
Reproductive Characteristics
Common Nighthawks nest from mid-June to mid-August. Number of broods uncertain, with two eggs per brood. Incubation period 19 days. Young able to fly 21 days after hatch.