Results of the 2026 Nighthawk Monitoring Season

Cover photo: John Huebler

As summer comes to a close, so too does the Chicago Nighthawk Project’s fifth year of monitoring!

COS’s Common Nighthawk monitoring program continues to grow and break new ground as volunteers spread across the region and contributed to the most active nighthawk monitoring program in the country. With their help, 2026 was saw us achieve new records of participation, locations monitored, and nighthawks detected helping us to understand Chicago’s nighthawk population like never before.

51 volunteer teams fanned out across the Chicago region
197 locations were monitored
525 monitoring runs were conducted through the month of June
85 locations had nighthawks detected
224 Common Nighthawks total were counted by monitors

Common Nighthawk on the balcony, photo courtesy of project monitor John Huebler

This year’s data brings us ever closer to identifying the key factors that support healthy nighthawk populations in urban environments and refining strategies for their conservation.

Thanks to the continued commitment of our volunteer community, we are not only tracking the health of this iconic species but also uncovering valuable insights to guide future conservation efforts. With the help of data scientists at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute, we are actively analyzing the data our volunteers collected and moving closer to clear conservation actions. A huge thank you to the volunteers who donated their time, birding skills, and local knowledge of nighthawk strongholds this season. Be on the lookout for future posts where we dig into these insights and share what it means for the future of this project.

To learn more about The Chicago Nighthawk Project and how to join our Year of the Nighthawk celebrations, check out our project page.