Common Poorwill Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A small, compact bird with a large head for its size. The short bill looks small (it is actually very wide). The wings are short and rounded and the tail rather short in flight.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a wood-pewee, smaller than a Common Nighthawk.

  between robin and crow

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
• Color Pattern

  A gray, brown, and buff bird with a highly camouflaged, “dead leaf” pattern, with some white in the collar and outer tail feathers.

• Behavior

  Common Poorwills rest on the ground during the day (and often at night). When foraging, they hawk insects from a low perch, often flying out at an insect and returning to the same perch. Flying birds stay low, moving in erratic, mothlike patterns with irregular wingbeats.

• Habitat

  Prairies, semi-arid flats, and rocky foothills, as well as ranchlands, suburbs, and golf courses, typically between about 1,000 and 7,000 feet elevation.