Antillean Nighthawk
Chordeiles gundlachii
The Antillean Nighthawk (Chordeiles gundlachii) is a rare nightjars and nighthawk found in 24 countries, weighing about 50 g. The Antillean nighthawk is a nightjar native to the Caribbean, The Bahamas, and Florida Keys.
About the Antillean Nighthawk
The Antillean nighthawk is a nightjar native to the Caribbean, The Bahamas, and Florida Keys.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adults are dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upperparts and breast; the long wings are black and show a white bar in flight. The tail is dark with white barring; the underparts are white with black bars. The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat. The most distinguishing characteristic to determine its identity from its closest relative the common nighthawk are the contrasting pale tertials near the back of the wings of a sitting bird. There are two color morphs, a gray and a rufous type. Voice: The call is a short pikadik usually heard overhead. The common nighthawk occasionally will make a similar call, but it is not as consistent. In the Dominican Republic, the bird is called querebebé; in Puerto Rico, the bird is called querequequé. Both are onomatopoeic terms which originate in Taíno.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Argentina, Canada, Curaçao, Bermuda, St. Barthélemy.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Antillean Nighthawk?
- The adults are dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upperparts and breast; the long wings are black and show a white bar in flight. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Antillean Nighthawk?
- The Antillean Nighthawk is a small sized bird weighing about 50 g.
- Where can you see an Antillean Nighthawk?
- The Antillean Nighthawk occurs in 24 countries, including Puerto Rico, the United States, Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.
- What birds look similar to an Antillean Nighthawk?
- The Antillean Nighthawk is most easily confused with the Nacunda Nighthawk, the Sand-colored Nighthawk and the Least Nighthawk.
- Is the Antillean Nighthawk endangered?
- The Antillean Nighthawk is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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