61 



breeding from 5,000 to 10,000 feet, and migrating commonly in the 

 foothills even to Cheyenne, so it may occasionally reach Nebraska also 

 during migrations. 



ORDER XIV. MACROCHIRES— Goatsuckers, Swifts, etc. 



A. Bill slender and long, gape narrow; plumage metallic Trochilidse. 



A. Bill short and broad at base ; gape very wide; plumage non-metallic. (B) 



B. Middle toe pectinated and longer than others Caprimulgidse. 



B. Middle toe not pectinate nor longer than others Micropodidse. 



Family CAPRIMULGIDjE — Goatsuckers, Nighthawks, etc. 



1. Middle of primaries with a conspicuous white bar; tail' forked; rictal 



bristles very small (2) 



1. Middle of primaries without a white spot; tail rounded or square; rictal 



bristles long (3) 



. 2. Darkest. Black markings prominent above, much in excess of 

 the brown and gray mottlings, the blackish bars below mostly 



complete Nighthawk. 



2. Paler. Gray and rufous in excess of dark color above, the white 

 on wing, tail and throat more extensive, below often washed 



with rusty Western Nighthawk. 



2. Palest. Pale silvery gray predominating above, the white below 

 greatly in excess of the narrow, irregular or broken, dark bars, 



and little or no rufous feathers Sennett Nighthawk. 



3. Tarsus feathered; tail rounded, the 3 outer feathers white tipped for over 



an inch Whippoorwill. 



3. Tarsus naked; tail even, the 3 outer feathers white tipped for less than 



an inch (4) 



4. Darker, the ground color of upper parts velvety gray, irregularly 

 barred with black; below barred with blackish and buffy; chin 



and cheeks blackish Poorwill. 



4. Paler, the ground color of upper parts much lighter, largely frosty 

 white, with the dark markings fewer and sharper; the bars 

 beneath finer and paler, less conspicuous; chin and cheeks faded 

 brown. . . Frosted Poorwill. 



417. *Antrostomus vociferus (Wilson) — Whippoorwill. 



Uncommon summer resident and breeder along the Missouri river, 

 more rarely westward over about the eastern half of state. Omaha, 

 Peru, Nebraska City, Neligh — breeding. Noted also, but not breed- 

 ing, at Lincoln, West Point, Thomas county — rare. Arrives the last 

 week in April, breeds from the middle of May to well into June, 

 leaves late in September. 



418. *Phalaenoptilus nuttallii (Audubon) — Poorwill. 



Western part of state, common; breeding in the canyons of Sioux 

 county and east at least to Long Pine canyon, probably across the 

 state northward. 



