Nightjars are ghost birds. They fly at dusk and dawn, roost motionless on the ground or on branches during the day, and their plumage matches dead leaves so perfectly that you can nearly step on one without seeing it. Most birders hear them far more often than they see them, and many birders with long life lists have never had a satisfying look at any nightjar species.
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But with the right approach, patience, and timing, you can find and observe these remarkable birds.
It takes a willingness to be outside during the hours that most people are not, and it requires a different set of skills than daytime birding.
North American Nightjar Species
The nightjar family in North America includes several species, but the ones most birders are looking for are the Eastern Whip-poor-will, the Chuck-wills-widow, and the Common Nighthawk. Less common targets include the Common Poorwill in the West, the Mexican Whip-poor-will in the Southwest, and the Buff-collared Nightjar along the Arizona-Mexico border.
Each species has a distinct vocal pattern, which is fortunate because voice is by far the easiest way to find them.
The Eastern Whip-poor-will repeats its name endlessly at dusk and through the night. The Chuck-wills-widow gives a similar but lower-pitched, slower call. Common Nighthawks produce a nasal peent call in flight at dusk and are actually more visual than other nightjars because they fly high and conspicuously over open areas.
When to Look
The prime window for finding calling nightjars is the period from about 30 minutes before sunset to about 90 minutes after sunset.
This is when territorial males are most vocal, and it is also when there is still enough ambient light to potentially see the birds in flight or perched on exposed surfaces.
Moon phase matters significantly. Nightjars are notably more active and vocal on bright moonlit nights. A full moon or near-full moon provides enough light for them to hunt insects effectively all night, which also means they call more persistently.
Planning your search around the full moon gives you the best odds.
Season is critical. Eastern Whip-poor-wills arrive on breeding territories in late April to early May across most of their range. The first few weeks after arrival is when males call most aggressively. The window from late April through early June is the best period for finding them.
Where to Look
Eastern Whip-poor-wills prefer dry, open deciduous or mixed woodland with sparse understory.
They need open ground for nesting and roosting and a partially open canopy for flying. Ridge tops, hillsides with oak-pine forest, and woodland clearings are classic habitat.
Chuck-wills-widows prefer similar habitat but tend to occupy areas with more pine influence, especially in the southeastern US. Common Nighthawks are the most urban-adapted species. They nest on flat gravel rooftops in cities and towns and can be found hunting insects over parking lots and ball fields at dusk.
State and national forests with gravel roads through dry upland habitat are the best places to search for Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-wills-widows.
Park at a wide spot in the road, turn off the engine, and listen.
Listening Technique
Drive slowly along forest roads starting about 20 minutes before sunset. Stop at intervals of about a quarter mile, turn off the car, roll down the windows, and listen for two to three minutes. If you hear nothing, move to the next stop. If you hear a bird calling, note the direction and estimate the distance.
Whip-poor-wills can be heard from a considerable distance on a calm night.
Their call carries well through forest, and the repetitive nature makes it easy to get a bearing on the direction. Walk toward the calling bird slowly and quietly.
Getting a Visual
Seeing a nightjar is harder than hearing one, but there are techniques that improve your odds. The simplest is to watch for them in flight at dusk. Nightjars fly on long, pointed wings with a buoyant, somewhat erratic flight pattern as they chase insects.
Against a twilight sky, you can often spot their silhouettes.
For perched birds, nightjars often sit on gravel roads, bare ground, fence posts, and low branches at dusk. Drive slowly along rural roads after sunset with your headlights on, scanning the road surface and fences. Their eyes reflect light, producing a characteristic orange-red eyeshine that is visible in headlight beams at considerable distances.
A red-filtered flashlight or headlamp is useful for approaching birds on foot without disturbing them.
Red light seems to bother nightjars less than white light. Once you locate a bird by its eyeshine, approach slowly and view it through binoculars in the red light.
Daytime Searches
Finding a roosting nightjar during the day is possible but extremely difficult. They sit motionless on the ground or lengthwise along a branch, and their camouflage is nearly perfect. Most daytime discoveries happen by accident, when a birder walking through habitat nearly steps on a bird that flushes from the ground.
If you know a bird territory from nighttime listening, you can search during the day by systematically walking through the area and watching for a flush.
Some birders have success finding roosting nightjars on horizontal tree branches, especially oaks with thick lateral limbs. The bird sits lengthwise along the branch, looking like a knot or bump in the bark.
Playback Ethics
Many birders use recorded calls to attract nightjars into view. This can be effective, but it should be used sparingly and responsibly. A calling male that responds to playback may stop foraging to investigate, and excessive playback can cause birds to abandon territories.
If you use playback, keep it brief.
A few repetitions of the call is enough to determine whether a bird is present and interested. If the bird responds by approaching or calling more intensely, stop the playback and observe. Do not continue playing after the bird has responded.
In popular birding areas, consider that multiple groups may use playback on the same bird over the course of a season. If you can locate birds without playback by listening and watching, that is always the better approach.