Common Poorwill
Common Poorwill has risen sharply: up 60% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Common Poorwill
The Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) 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 443 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 16 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Caprimulgidae · Aerial insectivores
Notable Common Poorwill Trends
No notable trend signals for Common Poorwill. See the full index history below.
Common Poorwill Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Common Poorwill is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.03 (95% range 0.01–0.05). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.7%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| 2026 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| 2027 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| 2028 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| 2029 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
Where the Common Poorwill Is Detected
BBS routes recording Common Poorwill, sized by most recent count.
Common Poorwill Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -80% | 1970 | 38 |
| California | -43% | 1970 | 71 |
| Colorado | -16% | 1972 | 35 |
| Idaho | -79% | 1987 | 13 |
| Kansas | insufficient data | n/a | 7 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Nevada | +15% | 1971 | 26 |
| New Mexico | +188% | 1975 | 36 |
| Oklahoma | +81% | 1981 | 6 |
| Oregon | +159% | 1978 | 29 |
| South Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Texas | -83% | 1969 | 78 |
| Utah | -20% | 1989 | 45 |
| Washington | -72% | 1983 | 13 |
| Wyoming | -55% | 1976 | 36 |
Common Poorwill Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Great Basin | -3% | 1970 | 91 |
| Northern Rockies | +28% | 1976 | 42 |
| Sierra Nevada | +96% | 1978 | 10 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +39% | 1977 | 75 |
| Badlands and Prairies | -77% | 1982 | 14 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -81% | 1972 | 19 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -33% | 1975 | 15 |
| Edwards Plateau | -46% | 1972 | 14 |
| Oaks and Prairies | -42% | 1976 | 10 |
| Coastal California | +54% | 1971 | 36 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -66% | 1970 | 33 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -71% | 1970 | 19 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -13% | 1970 | 39 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | -89% | 1969 | 17 |
Common Poorwill Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 60% since 1969. 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.