Common Poorwill

The Common Poorwill is the smallest nightjar in North America and is famous among ornithologists as the only bird species confirmed to enter prolonged torpor resembling hibernation, allowing it to survive cold periods when insect prey is scarce. Its plumage is finely mottled in shades of gray, brown, and black, providing near-perfect camouflage against rocky or gravelly ground. Compared to other nightjars, it has shorter, more rounded wings and a shorter tail, giving it a compact, chunky silhouette.

Key Field Marks

• Small, compact nightjar with short, rounded wings and a short tail
• Finely mottled gray-brown-black plumage, excellent camouflage
• White throat band and white tail corners
• Repetitive, whistled "poor-will" or "poor-will-ip" song given at night

Similar Species

• Common Nighthawk and Lesser Nighthawk have long, pointed wings and fly higher and more erratically; the Poorwill flies low with fluttering wingbeats.
• Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will's-widow are larger with proportionally longer tails and different, longer songs.

Habitat

Common Poorwills favor arid and semi-arid habitats, including rocky hillsides, desert scrub, sagebrush flats, and open pine or oak woodland edges.

Range

They breed across much of the western United States, from southern Canada south through Mexico.

Migration

Many populations are migratory, moving south into Mexico for winter, but some individuals in milder areas remain resident, and it is the species in which torpor was first scientifically documented as a way to survive periods of cold and food scarcity.

Behavior

Common Poorwills are nocturnal, resting motionless and camouflaged on the ground by day and becoming active to hunt insects at dusk and through the night.

Voice

The repetitive, whistled "poor-will" song, often with a soft trailing note, is given persistently on warm nights and is the easiest way to detect the species.

Feeding

They hunt flying insects such as moths and beetles by sallying from the ground or a low perch, often along roads or open patches where prey is easier to spot.

Nesting

No nest is built; eggs are laid directly on bare ground, gravel, or leaf litter, relying on cryptic plumage for protection.