THE NIGHTHAWK 



Goatsucker Family — Caprimulgidce 



Length: 10 inches; wings 7% inches. 



General Appearance: A large dark bird, with a white throat, 

 a white band across the tail, and very long wings, 

 on each of which is a large white spot or bulVs-eye, 

 unfortunately a target, like the white rump of the 

 flicker. 



Male: Black above, mottled with buff emd white; under parts 

 lighter (becoming whitish), barred with black; 

 throat with a tent-shaped white patch below the very 

 wide bill; upper breast black; tail notched, a white 

 band extending across it near the end except on the 

 middle tail-feathers; wing with a conspicuous area 

 of white about half-way between the curve and tip, 

 when outspread. 



Female: Throat buff; under parts buflfy; no white on the tail. 



Note: A loud peeng-peeng; uttered at frequent intervals while 

 on the wing. 



Flight: Very swift, with numerous and rapid changes of di- 

 rection. The bird is very active at nightfall. It 

 makes rapid descents not unlike those made by an 

 airplane; it has a habit of dropping "like a bolt 

 from the blue." 



Habitat: The nighthawk is a "bird of the air" rather than of 

 treetops or ground. It may be seen in cities flying 

 above houses in search of its insect prey at sunset 

 and during the night. 



Nest: No nest, but two speckled eggs are laid on the ground 

 or on a roof where they are not easily discovered. 

 Mr. Forbush says, "The nighthawk has deposited its 

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