Although it's called a "nighthawk", this little goatsucker isn't a hawk, and is often seen in broad daylight (and come to think of it, it has no connection with goats, either, except in ancient superstition). Instead, it's closely related to the Whip-poor-will and other nightjars.
Now that these misconceptions have been cleared away, I really have little to say about this photo. Several nighthawks were gliding and wheeling above me, catching insects out of the air. I tried to track them in flight; almost impossible. But I did get lucky with a few shots - very few - and this is the best of the lot. The white throat indicates that this is an adult male; females have buffy throats.
I'll never forget an evening during one of my photo workshops. We were hiking back to our vehicles when a Common Nighthawk swooped down toward us from behind and let go with its LOUD, startling, booming territorial (or courtship) call. We all jumped. For several of us it was the highlight of the day.
Nighthawks are among the last migrants to arrive on the northern prairie in spring, and the first to leave, usually in mid-August. They winter in southern South America, an amazing journey. Their breeding range extends into the Yukon and Northwest Territories in western Canada, and Labrador in the east. Like many prairie birds, their numbers are declining, quite likely for similar reasons: habitat loss and widespread pesticide use in agriculture.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2020 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
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