Common Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk has held roughly steady: down 8% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Common Nighthawk
The Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is a North American member of the Nightjars & Nighthawks (Caprimulgidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the aerial insectivores.
- Size
- 7.5–12 in long (19–30 cm) — a cryptic, big-mouthed bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open airspace over fields, water and towns; nests in cavities, earthen banks or on structures.
- Diet
- Flying insects caught on the wing.
- Range
- Recorded on 2,540 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Caprimulgidae · Aerial insectivores
Notable Common Nighthawk TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Common Nighthawk. See the full index history below.
Common Nighthawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Common Nighthawk is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 1.2 (95% range 0.76–1.6). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±8%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Common Nighthawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording Common Nighthawk, sized by most recent count.
Common Nighthawk Population Trend by State
Common Nighthawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Common Nighthawk Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 8% since 1968. Aerial insectivores have fallen sharply across the continent, a decline widely linked to dwindling insect prey.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.