Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (protonym, Caprimulgus minor), also known by a tremendous flock of alternative common names, including the American nighthawk, the Pacific/eastern/western nighthawk, the Florida nighthawk, Asseri nighthawk, Cherrie's nighthawk, Howell's nighthawk, Sennett's nighthawk, booming nighthawk, or as the bullbat, photographed at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Anahuac, Texas (USA).
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 21 May 2011 (with permission) [velociraptorize].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400
Question: This migratory North American mystery bird is sometimes mistaken for a mammal. What species of bird is this and what mammals is it sometimes mistaken for?
Response: This is an adult common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, a member of the taxonomic order, Caprimulgiformes (goatsuckers). These birds were named for the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats (caprimulgus is Latin for "goatsucker", a name that is sometimes still used today for these birds). Caprimulgids are medium-sized birds that typically nest on the ground. They have long narrow wings, short weak legs and very short bills. Morphologically, caprimulgids are viewed as being midway between the owls (Strigiformes) and the swifts (Apodidae).
Common nighthawks are usually crepuscular, foraging at dawn and dusk by catching flying insects on the wing. Common nighthawks are often mistaken for bats due to their erratic flight and nighttime hunting activities, and in fact, they are often known as bullbats in many parts of the USA.
Common nighthawks make a short, loud nasal peet call, often overhead. During courtship, the male performs a dramatic aerial display where he dives to earth from on high, pulling up a metre or so before certain death. As he pulls upwards, a loud booming sound is created. This sound, which resembles (to me) an oncoming tractor-trailer, is produced by air rushing through the bird's wingtips, which have evolved a rough edge specifically to create noise.
In the below video, Greg Budney, curator of the Macaulay Library, tells us about his close encounter with a common nighthawk as it called and buzzed madly just over his head:
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