Antillean Nighthawk

About the Antillean Nighthawk

The Antillean nighthawk (Chordeiles gundlachii) is a nightjar native to the Caribbean, The Bahamas, and Florida Keys. Its specific epithet, gundlachii, is in honor of Cuban naturalist Juan Gundlach. 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. Like other nighthawks, this bird will display by flying upward with a distinctive call note, then diving, pulling out of the dive only a few feet from the ground. This creates a rush of air and distinctive sound.

Their breeding habitat is open country of the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, the Bahamas, and the Florida Keys in the United States. They usually nest on bare ground, sometimes in raised locations... Wikipedia →