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Contrary to its name, the Nighthawk is not a hawk, and also not strictly nocturnal. They are thinly distributed around the Algonquin Highlands, arriving in spring and departing by the end of August. The Nighthawk is mottled brownish-black to match the ground, with a long square-tipped tail, and long pointed wings with a broad white wing bar. Males have a white throat patch and tail bar, while females have a buff throat patch and no tail bar. They have weak feet and bills, and are equipped with enormous mouths for catching flying insects, their only food source.
The Nighthawk catches flying insects by doing a power dive and, as it swerves upward, it makes a booming sound with its wings. This “sonic boom” along with a nasal buzzing sound allow us to hear the Nighthawk, although we would not often see it as they normally fly over a hundred metres above. Concentrating on high-flying insects, they consume an amazingly large amount in a single day.
Camouflage is very important to the Nighthawk because it nests on the ground in open areas. The eggs, usually two, are laid on the ground. They are creamy or olive-gray, densely and lightly speckled.
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COMMON NIGHTHAWK
Chordeiles minor
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