Have you ever seen a new bird species so mesmerizing, so fascinating, so attention-catching and stood stunned, wondering how on earth you hadn’t noticed it before? I’ve had many of these moments in my first year as a new birder—the most recent happening just last week!
I was out for a summer evening walk with a friend when something that I didn’t recognize flew overhead. Another bird followed. And then another.
They were fast. Erratic. And moving quickly out of sight. A brief glimpse with my binoculars got my adrenaline pumping, because I saw what I was sure were two bright white wing patches—one near the end of each wing. I high-tailed it back down the trail, hoping to get a better look at them when they emerged from behind some trees.
Sure enough. My first common nighthawks of the summer, and my first ever.
A common nighthawk in flight. These birds have long wings and tiny little bills. Notice the white wing patches near the tip of each wing—these are thankfully easy to see even in dim lighting and can help you confirm your ID! Photo by Kenneth Cole Schneider CC BY-NC-ND
Late August and early September brings us a lot of special birding events, common nighthawk migration included. This week’s Entryway to Birding blog takes a closer look at what you might find when you turn your eye to the summer evening sky, and shares a few resources that you should know about if you’d like to get a better sense of the season’s timings.
Common Nighthawk Migration
I still don’t know how I missed them before. All those summer evenings of years past, all those warm evening walks—never once do I remember looking up to watch the aerial show that may have been happening above my head. When I saw my first nighthawks, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I stood in awe on that trail, thinking of how grateful I was for a hobby that continues, every day, every week, every season, to open up a new world of wonder.
If you’re new to nighthawks like I was, here’s the lowdown:
Is there a bird in this picture? Yep, though at first glance it may appear to be just part of the branch. Common nighthawks have wonderful camouflage to help keep them hidden while they sleep during the day. Photo by Tom Benson CC BY-NC-ND
What are common nighthawks? You might hear these birds being called “aerial insectivores,” which just means that they spend most of their time in the air eating bugs. (That’s great news for us mosquito-haters!) Unlike their name implies, common nighthawks aren’t hawks at all—they are part of the nightjar family. They roost in trees during the day and you can count yourself extremely lucky if you spot one hiding—their camouflage is top-notch. They are crepuscular, meaning they are active at dawn and dusk, where you can find them swooping and circling and performing an acrobatic show as they snatch bugs from the air.
When can I find them? Common nighthawk migration ramps up during the last week of August and first week of September. Late summer is the best chance to see these birds, and if you look for them during their peak migration (aka, right now!) you’ll likely see them in good numbers. They are most active at dawn and dusk. Finding a quiet place to sit and watch them has quickly become a favorite summer evening activity.
This was taken at Six Mile Creek at Governor Nelson State Park—the tiny dots in the air aren’t nighthawks, but rather cedar waxwings that were feasting on the bugs over the water. There were plenty of nighthawks that joined them too, but I couldn’t get any good pictures of them in the dim light. I took this just after 7:30pm, which is right about when I started noticing the common nighthawks swooping above too.
I took this on a prairie-covered hill in Middleton, shortly after several common nighthawks flew over at approximately 7pm. Water, no water, lights, no lights—you might see a common nighthawk anywhere in the evening, as long as you keep your eyes to the sky! Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Where can I find them? Urban, suburban, rural, you name it—you’ve got good chances regardless of where you’re viewing, as long as you have a nice open view of the sky. Areas near water or bright lights will increase your chances—think about places with good bug potential! I saw my first nighthawks off the Military Ridge trail near Goose Lake in Verona, but I heard my first nighthawk calling it’s characteristic “peert! peert!” call in the parking lot of the Dairy Queen in Fitchburg where the large retail parking lot lights was making for a feeding frenzy. I’ve seen them fly over suburban neighborhoods, but also over the fields and creek at Governor Nelson State Park. Your likelihood of seeing them in greater numbers will probably increase near the outskirts of town, but you still might find one or two flying over your backyard no matter where you live.
Common nighthawk populations are declining, likely due to a decrease in the amount of insects available for them to eat. If you’re out looking for them, I encourage you to keep a tally of how many you see at your chosen location and post your sightings on eBird. Check out some of my previous posts on the benefits of using eBird and participating in this citizen science tradition.
A Swift Night Out
If you’ve got your eyes trained on the evening sky—especially in an urban or suburban area—you might find yourself witnessing another spectacular aerial event. You may see hundreds of small, fast, twittering birds swirling in the sky near a chimney before they fly straight in and disappear from view.
Swifts return to a chimney to roost for the evening. (These are actually Vaux’s swifts in this picture, the western relative of our eastern chimney swift, but this photo gives you a good idea of what you might see at a roosting site!) Photo by Steve Benoit CC BY
Those fast-swirling birds are chimney swifts returning to their roost. Another aerial insectivore, they are mesmerizing to watch. They are unique in how they spend most of their lives in the air. Unlike other birds, they cannot perch but their long claws allow them to cling vertically to surfaces like, you guessed it, the inside of chimneys.
Each year, Madison Audubon hosts a “Swift Night Out” where people can gather and watch chimney swifts as they roost. This year’s event was held online due to the pandemic and you can watch a recording of the event below. And what used to be a single night event has now been converted into a month-long, state-wide event called A Swift Night Out Wisconsin, hosted by Madison Audubon and the Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group.
In the online Swift Night Out video (below), you’ll learn about chimney swifts, their roosting patterns, risks that are facing these fascinating birds, and get to see some awesome footage of them flocking to their roosts. The video cuts off a little early due to some technical issues, but trust me, it’s still jam-packed full of swifts!
Chimney swifts!
Posted by Madison Audubon on Saturday, August 29, 2020
This event was absolutely fascinating. If you give it a watch, you’ll hear from Sandy Schwab of the Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group as she tells you everything you need to know about chimney swifts and answers questions from online viewers.
You might hear some folks describe chimney swifts as “flying cigars” because the shape of their bodies looks like the shape of a thick cigar. It can help you distinguish them from other swallows or even bats that might also be flying around in the evening. Photo by Shawn Taylor CC BY
Sandy shared a really awesome opportunity with us too, one that’s perfect for any new birders out there looking for a fun way to watch chimney swifts and contribute to their protection. Chimney swifts are facing population declines as chimneys fall into disrepair or are removed. The Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group is currently partnering with the Wisconsin DNR to identify chimneys potentially in need of repair, which can protect important habitat for these birds. They are asking volunteers who witness chimney swift flying into chimneys to report their sightings to eBird and use a special hashtag (#swiftwi) to help them track reports.
It’s an awesome opportunity—you’ll get out exploring your neighborhood while looking for swifts and help contribute to this important citizen science project. Read more about how to report your sightings and what details you can include in your report.
Don’t Miss Out! Three More Ways to Get Your Bird News
How are you supposed to know when common nighthawks are coming through? How are you supposed to know that you should pay attention to chimneys in your neighborhood? What else is going to be coming your way during fall migration? What will be leaving? How can a new birder stay in the loop when each season brings so many intricacies?
I’ve written before about a birder’s calendar and how tricky it can be to stay on top of all the comings and goings of the year. eBird and eBird’s bar charts feature is always a great resource to learn about what birds can be found in your area each month of the year, but there are some other resources you can be following to get more insight on what’s happening in your area, bird-wise.
Get the Wisconsin DNR’s Statewide Birding Report delivered straight to your inbox. Each week (or so), you’ll get a wonderful write-up of what is happening with birds across the state, written by DNR conservation biologist Ryan Brady. As someone who birds mostly in Dane County, I love seeing the bigger picture of what is happening across the state. This report helps me get a better sense of what happens seasonally in the birding year and puts a few special birds—like common nighthawks—on my radar so I know to be keeping an eye out for them.
If you’re on Facebook, consider joining the Birding Wisconsin group. This is a public group where Wisconsinites from all over the state share photos and bird sightings. If you’re curious about a topic, try using the search feature to search through past posts in this group—you can get some fun insight on a bird you’re looking for or learn about a new birding destination. When fall and spring migration ramp up, this is a good place to hear about some of the “first of fall” or “first of spring” sightings so that you’re clued into what you might be seeing soon.
Join the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology! There is a membership fee for joining the WSO, but it goes to supporting wonderful bird conservation, bird-research, and resources for the birding community right here in our state. One of the perks of being a member is receiving monthly issues of The Badger Birder and the quarterly edition of their journal, The Passenger Pigeon. These publications give you an inside scoop on Wisconsin’s birding scene, provide updates on rare bird sightings and season highlights, and share cool resources useful for birders new and experienced.
I’ve been out and about looking for new places where I might sit and enjoy the summer evening show and have discovered a few gems in the process. My most recent discovery is the Wilke Preserve, just north of Waunakee. This small bridge over the creek makes for a good sit spot. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
This week’s weather is trending cooler than last week’s—thank goodness! It’s the perfect time to get outside and bird.
I encourage you to carve out some time in your evening to explore a new location, whether in your neighborhood or beyond. Go for an evening walk. Watch the sun set. Listen for the fast twittering of chimney swifts in your neighborhood or the buzzy “peert, peert!” call of common nighthawks as they swoop above. Let birds bring you joy at the end of the day.
Happy birding, and I’ll see you next week!
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Caitlyn is the Communications and Outreach Assistant at Madison Audubon. She’s crazy for birds because they changed her life. She’ll be back next Monday with some tips and tools for birders, new and experienced! Between now and then, she’d love to hear about the birds you’re seeing and hearing. Leave a comment below or email to drop her a line!
