The Common Nighthawk is not a hawk at all but a nightjar that forages at dusk and dawn on the wing, performing erratic, buoyant flight to catch flying insects. Males perform dramatic courtship dives at dusk, producing a booming 'vroooom' with their wings as they pull up at the bottom. It has adapted to nesting on flat gravel rooftops in cities.
Best time to see a Common Nighthawk
The best time to see a Common Nighthawk is May–July, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 12,409 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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Recent Common Nighthawk sightings near you
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