16 Would possibly 2024
When I used to be a child within the Sixties commonplace nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) have been so commonplace that they attracted my understand and impressed my love for birds. Within the past due Nineteen Seventies many flew above my community on summer time nights, hawking moths over the Magee Box ballpark lighting fixtures. Within the Nineteen Nineties their inhabitants started a steep decline and by means of the past due 2000s I spotted it in my community. This 12 months I haven’t noticed a nighthawk but. Their decline has gotten worse within the final twenty years.
Nighthawks are nightjars and they’re all in bother together with whip-poor-wills and chuck-wills-widow.
What number of nighthawks are left? The place are they now?
You’ll lend a hand resolution those questions by means of taking part within the 2024 Nightjar Survey performed by means of the Middle for Conservation Biology.
The survey window for all of the continental US opened the day prior to this, working from 15 Would possibly to 30 Would possibly.
Apparently you best need to depend nighthawks by means of the sunshine of the moon as a result of they name extra frequently when the moon is shining. The following complete moon is 23 Would possibly, proper in the course of the survey length.
Take a look at the survey directions PDF right here or on their website online at nightjars.org.
Learn extra in regards to the decline of nighthawks on this antique article from 2009.
p.s. I participated within the nightjar survey with Michelle Kienholz in 2018. The utmost quantity we counted at one prevent used to be simply two.
See survey effects from all years right here.