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Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
(c) Mike Stewart, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Mike Stewart · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
BirdsIn Ohio

Common Nighthawk

Chordeiles minor (J. R. Forster, 1771)

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Caprimulgiformes
Family
Caprimulgidae
Genus
Chordeiles

Conservation status

Species of concern in Ohio (Ohio Division of Wildlife, June 2026)

Ohio's Division of Wildlife names it as one that might become threatened in Ohio under continued or increased stress, or one it has some concern for but too little information to judge. It is not listed as endangered or threatened.

We remember your county on this device only, until you clear it. Your ZIP code, city or location never leaves your device.

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 1 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (0)
  • Within its mapped range (49)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (38)
  • Recorded, season not shown (0)
  • Season shown (1)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
Common Nighthawk by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Ashtabula CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Athens CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Belmont CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Brown CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Butler CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Carroll CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Clark CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Clinton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Columbiana CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Coshocton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Crawford CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Cuyahoga CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Fayette CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Franklin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Gallia CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Geauga CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Greene CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Hamilton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Hardin CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Harrison CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Henry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Hocking CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Holmes CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Knox CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Lake CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Lawrence CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Licking CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Logan CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Lorain CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Lucas County74 · Season shownYes: summer
Madison CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Mahoning CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Marion CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Mercer CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Miami CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Morgan CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Morrow CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Pickaway CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Pike CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Portage CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Preble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Ross CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Sandusky CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Seneca CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Stark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Summit CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Union CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Vinton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Williams CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Wood CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Wyandot CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer

Season

When it is recorded

In Ohio

Early May to early June, middle week mid-May, and again early July to mid-September, middle week early September

Recorded in two separate seasons, each shown with its own early, middle and late weeks.

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 295 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Common Nighthawk in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Common NighthawkYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10006,211
Jan 11–17005,146
Jan 18–24004,645
Jan 25–31004,698
Feb 1–7006,023
Feb 8–14005,888
Feb 15–21005,436
Feb 22–28006,846
Mar 1–7008,321
Mar 8–140010,384
Mar 15–210012,620
Mar 22–280013,949
Mar 29 – Apr 40019,661
Apr 5–110026,860
Apr 12–180039,925
Apr 19–250041,623
Apr 26 – May 20056,391
May 3–95352,952
May 10–1651853,785
May 17–23102957,698
May 24–3021954,651
May 31 – Jun 615653,099
Jun 7–1313253,700
Jun 14–206256,625
Jun 21–270055,361
Jun 28 – Jul 42258,477
Jul 5–116461,336
Jul 12–183364,722
Jul 19–253369,753
Jul 26 – Aug 12159,416
Aug 2–82259,712
Aug 9–154455,994
Aug 16–221154,328
Aug 23–2911551,772
Aug 30 – Sep 57457,167
Sep 6–1214559,075
Sep 13–1921954,543
Sep 20–265545,860
Sep 27 – Oct 30043,180
Oct 4–101137,841
Oct 11–170030,824
Oct 18–240021,156
Oct 25–310019,021
Nov 1–70014,172
Nov 8–140012,621
Nov 15–21007,965
Nov 22–28008,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5006,083
Dec 6–12006,004
Dec 13–19005,423
Dec 20–26005,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2008,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • Eastern Whip-poor-will Antrostomus vociferus27 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura13 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Months not reported

  1. Jan: no record
  2. Feb: no record
  3. Mar: no record
  4. Apr: no record
  5. May: recorded
  6. Jun: recorded
  7. Jul: recorded
  8. Aug: recorded
  9. Sep: recorded
  10. Oct: recorded
  11. Nov: no record
  12. Dec: no record

Not reported in Ohio in November to April, 2016 to 2025.

Time of day it is recorded

midnight6 amnoon6 pm

From 280 Ohio records with a time. Most records are made when people are outside, so night and early-morning species are under-recorded.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed55%49%
Wetland26%5%
Forest8%31%
Farmland7%11%
Open water2%3%
Barren1%0.6%

From 95 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

295 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.