Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor

The Nighthawks, Nightjars, Pauraque, Poorwill, Whip-poor-will and Chuck-wills-widow are species in the family called Goatsuckers, Capimulgidae. Other families in the order Caprimulgiformes include the Pootoos, Frogmouths, and Oilbirds. These nocturnal species are sometimes seen foraging at dusk, or hawking insects illuminated by streetlights. Not many along our coast, but we do see the Common Nighthawk at Mono Lake, and it is widely distributed across Canada and the U.S. The Common Poorwill is a western species, while Chuck-wills-widow and Whip-poor-will provide an evening serenade across the eastern states.

As we drove along the main road in the Backcock-Webb preserve near Punta Gorda, Fl, I spotted black lump on a pine branch about 100' away. Scope view confirmed it was a goatsucker of some sort. Jim Stevenson, former FL resident and currently the main figure in the Galveston Ornithological Society provided the ID. Note the long wingtips, as well the as white underparts with dark barring.

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The initial photo was mostly a silhouette, but LightRoom processing brought out some detail. The tiny bill opens to a very wide mouth, enabling them to suck up insects in the evening sky as they fly.