Field Trip Report: Common Nighthwk Watch

About 20 people, seated and standing, from behind, deeply silhouetted against an evening sky, with a tree on each side and a few bright ball field lights at the horizon.

words by Chris Cochrane

Chicago Ornithological Society hosted its fifth annual Common Nighthawk Watch at Horner Park at the end of October and about 65 participants turned out!

Seen from below in silhouette, two birds flying from upper left to lower right. Forked tails, long, narrow wings and short heads.

Common Nighthawks. Photo by Dan Wendt, Horner Park,

The earliest birds were distant and very high. Within a few minutes, small groups of birds began trickling in. Some flew low, roughly 10 to 20 feet overhead. A few hunted insects which were drawn to the ball field lights.

Our final tally was 48 Common Nighthawks! Almost all were spotted within the first hour of the watch. 

Common Nighthawk and common gas-hawk. Photo by Dan Wendt, Horner Park,

We also logged 16 Mallard flyovers and a fair number of Chimney Swifts. After sunset a few bats made a special appearance, delighting the attendees. 

Overall, it was a fantastic week for nighthawk watching, with some reports of over 1,000 birds seen in a single night! 

Kris HansenHorner Park, nighthawks