The nighthawk call reminds me of hot summer nights in my childhood in Iowa. I heard one last night for the first time in a while. Love these birds, thank you for this post!
Swap out Montreal for Iowa and it’s the same for me. My current neighbourhood has some, and this pleases me to no end. The nighthawk call is the sound of sultry summer dusk.
Something about that summer evening sound. It runs deep. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and now have lived in Nebraska for decades, and these birds and their calls have never not been with me.
@@mclsandra Swap out St Paul MN and it's the same for me. In the summer Common Nighthawks would fly around the light poles catching insects on the wing. Flying high, making that distinct sound. For years there were NONE, 00.00, Nada. Now fast forward to 2022, 2023, 2024 I probably still only see (2) a season. I just came back from Northwestern Wisconsin, south of Superior, Wi. Over the lake at the "Back Yard" campground, while sitting on an outdoor couch on the deck having a beer A DOZEN Nighthawks flying erratically overhead!!! Awesome!
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO. I had nightmares while backpacking in this area a while ago. This noise kept me and my friends up for hours. We were freaking out
Thanks for this video! The other night my wife and I were at our cabin, which sits below a ridge bordering wilderness area known to be populated by Grizzly, elk, wolves and more. Imagine hearing that "booming" sound at twilight! We were positive, given our ignorance, that there must be multiple large game animals "talking" to each other up on the ridge. We mustered our courage (along with bear spray and assorted weaponry) and crept up the hill. The nighthawks were highly active. As we sat on the ridge a hawk dive-bombed right in front of us and the truth was revealed! It was they making that amazing sound!
I live in an urban area in northeast Ohio in a well treed neighborhood and have been hearing this sort of "screeching" every night. At first I thought it was an insect, but I went out one night with a strong flashlight and followed its calls for an hour until I caught a glimpse of it flying overhead maybe 60-80 feet up. I knew then that it was certainly a bird and have been searching UA-cam and Google for days. Thank you for posting this, I now know what we've got! Hevent heard the boom yet tho
Thanks for the video. The nighthawk sound provides something i can't understand. Whenever/ wherever i hear it, i stop and look up, trying to find it. I now live in the city, but at my small ranch in central TX, i would see and hear them dropping from the sky just feet from me....a peace i can't ever forget - both the song and dive.. I should also note, the loon carries the sound which is inherently peaceful to me. You did a video on that, just stumbled on this today. Appreciated, though never noticed by many - in nature or your videos.
The last 20 years I have grown up just an hour from the gulf coast in south texas and never really knew what this might be coming from. I noticed one flying right above me on my walk. Its flight pattern was stunning. I looked for their song as well & I am delighted to find out that this is who I’ve grown up hearing! Thank you for sharing!
I've always lived in Ohio & I have heard these birds since I was a child but never could see them. Good memories. I witnessed one again just now & it made VERY fast dives & darts across the evening sky! So now, 50+ years later, I finally put a name & body to a screech!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much for this! I live in northwestern Oregon and although I knew the nighthawks and their call I did not know that the "boom" was coming from them too. That sound has been driving me crazy for years not knowing what was making it. Where I live the sound is very loud because of the acoustical nature of the place- you wouldn't believe the ideas I came up with for the origin of the sound! Seems really silly not to have understood that it came from the nighthawks now! Thanks again!
I have had the same experience, living in Nebraska! For years I wondered what that sound was, and I didn't connect it with the call of the Nighthawk. Then I was watching on in flight one day, repeatedly going into his dive, and I realized that he was making that sound.
SO glad you posted all this!! I'm a trucker and have wondered what makes that call while hanging out at FedEx/airport. But lately we've had one on our terminal that will sit in the exact same spot at night on the asphalt. He is not intimidated by my Freightliner rolling up on him until I'm damn near abt to run him over. Last night I pulled up beside him and talked to him thru the window. He didn't flinch. Turned off my engine (at which point the release of the air in the lines startles most things) and he didn't flinch. Got out and walked to within two feet of him with a flashlight and he still didn't move. Which got me to thinking something was wrong with him tonight and went back for my thick leather gloves. When I bent toward him he flew about 10 feet away. We repeated this about 3 times before he took to the air and started his call. Because of his diminutive size, I was thinking he might have been a Kite but couldn't find any with those telltale white stripes...
Quite common in Homestead, Florida. I get dive bombed by a good number of them where I walk my dog. Last night I was lucky enough to watch one hunt and catch insects in mid flight.
There are tons of these in Stephenville, TX. They showed up last year and have multiplied in the area. They dive mostly in the morning here and absolutely love stormy skies. Low clouds are really fun for them.
Thanks for sharing this! Its the only video I found to show my wife. I used to have these over my apartment in downtown Binghamton NY in the late 70s and early 80s, but never see or hear them anymore. I always thought they were ordinary. Now they are very special to remember. Why are they rare here now is the question.
We encountered a number of these birds after sundown when we were camping in the Willamette national forest on this high ridge, and at first we thought that the loud noise was a bigger animal, but eventually we spotted these cool birds with white spots hunting moths and such! Thanks for sharing the sounds.
Nighthawks were one of the first birds to capture my imagination as a child; I still get unreasonably exited when I spot them dashing about in the evening. Thanks for this.
@Robin Atkins wow I lived in Anacortes Fildago island For 13 years never heard them . Now, in central Florida and just last night they are back , spring time . Awesome! they have such a unique sound.
I concur! I was in my early 30 when i heard my first and to this day in my late 40's they still captivate me! I'm at such an ahh that they can perform such a harrowing feat!! I go out at dusk just to catch these awesome feathered friends flying the night sky with ease.
@@robinatkins5332 we have them on the Rathdrum prairie in north Idaho and it's simply mesmerizing, i love sounds at dusk of the symphony composed by them.
We watched in rapt enjoyment with 2 other friends last evening just as dusk fell in the warm dry desert northwest of Phoenix, AZ perhaps 15 or 20 Common Nighthawks hunting insects. The dives and darts almost appeared choreographed as the intricate dance of their hunt filled the night air.
Watched a flock of 30+ Common Night Hawks last evening, as they flew along the shoreline of the Ottawa River, near Pembroke, Ontario. Lovely to see such large numbers, as I haven't seen them in several years!
I heard this sound during a night hike near Nederland, CO and nearly shat my pantaloons. Thanks for the detailed explanation of what the sound really was!
We have these in midsummer here in MA, but they appear to be gone now. They would chirp like this at night in an urban neighborhood. I never associated the wing ruffle booming with the bird until watching this video. I also use the Merlin app daily. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Living in Nebraska, these birds are pretty common. Lovely birds, and their call always gives me a Spring/Summer feeling! Never have heard of the booming, but I recall that there were periods in June when they would swoop down towards the front lawn when certain insects were hatching. Quite the sight!!!:)
👍🤚Thanks Greg for wonderful explore and video. I have never heard the mechanical sound like before but you can bet I will tune in more when I see them hope I get a chance to experience. Learned something new thanks and thank you for sharing Cornell. From Florida take care 💕
Awesome. My family just came from walking and two of these were flying over the local track the whole time and one was screeching continuously nonstop. I had no idea what they were and they were drawing a crowd of people just watching them trying to figure out what they were. Now we know, thank you for the video!
Ah, thanks for this! Lived in Hayward, Wisconsin on their Main street, constantly heard this screech and diving sound outside my window, nightly. Always wondered what type of bird that was, making it all.
Heard these for years every morning and night after rifle team practice. We couldn't see them at KHS but it was surreal to experience. Glad someone there knew what the hell was making the noise.
Thank you so much for clearing up a mystery. I lived in a city in southern Ontario as a kid and on hot summer nights, we heard what I used to call "the skeezix bird". Once in a while I'd hear that short sort of groan sound. No one else could hear it and they thought I was crazy. My brother finally admitted he heard something but he said, "That's sound waves bouncing off the buildings." I had to accept that explanation until now. I didn't even know what the name of the bird was until now.
I’ve been recording this exact thing for a few nights and watching this bird swoop and dive and make that sound with its wings. I’m so glad to finally be able to identify the bird and understand what it’s doing. Thank you! (The one I’m hearing/seeing does this calling and swooping from just before sunset until just before sunrise...nonstop, in a continuous pattern above our pool area.)
Man thank u!!! I live in Georgia and this bird has flew over my job this time of year for years every night and i always wondered what it was. You can even hear them swooping down which could freak u out at night! Lol. Thank u!!!
On this past Saturday night 8/24/24, my whole family and I witnessed what I would honestly say close to a few thousand night hawks flying above our campground for two consecutive days coming down close enough to see the bars on their wings and to hear them. First they they swarmed over the lake and the second(24th), over the fields for over three hours each time that they were seen. My son-in-law got a photo close enough to ID them. I’ve never seen one before. This was in south western NH.
Back in the 60's and 70's and 80's I could see 20 or so swooping around above my house in the city of Ft. Wayne, IN. Once in awhile I would see the swoop. I only saw one up close once, in an oak tree. I think it might have been sick as it was during the day. They used to roost on the top of the hospital. Now, with the hospital having been torn down I see only afew all summer. Usually I would notice them around May 11. Like clockwork. They are my favorite bird, but definitely fewer than in the past.
Really neat birds. I ran into one camping in SW Washington state a few years ago. It was dusk and I started hearing the 'chirping'. The 'booming' sound they make really startled me, I thought it was a bear nearby, it was pretty loud. He dive bombed pretty close to me a few times, probably curious about me, as I was far off the road and not in a place where people usually camp.
I haven't heard them at night but I see them dive playing durring the day and buzzing on the way down. That white under their pointed wings look like a big white dot as the fly. They fly very erratically, much like a bat here in Western Washington. Thx 4 the great video.
NE IOWA checking-in...i thought this sound was coming from my barn swallows...cuz that's what's flying around the barn. though...last month (june) i did see a nighthawk in full evening display, ballet-dancing on the air, in front of me and another...it was so beautiful! like a gift from the great beyond. and then, yesterday...a pileated woodpecker! NEVER SEEN one of those! another gift!
I saw them today for the first time. It was an unusually cool, cloudy day out at the local refuge and there they were, hunting over one of the large ponds.
I have lived in a forested area for the last 5 years and there are nighthawks here too. I have heard that booming sound since I was first here and was stumped to what it was. Earlier this year I was talking to some people that came through here and that subject came up and they told me that they had heard it was nighthawks making that sound, Now this video finally confirms it. Thanks Greg!
I love these birds! I heard them every dusk in. Ohio, often heard the whoosh sound as they dove. I have not seen them yet where I live in Wyoming near the Snowies. But today I saw several Red-Tailed Hawks out in the range area. However I miss my nighthawks!
I have lived in Atlanta all these years and never knew those birds I saw around sunset making those calls were Night Hawks. I would see a bunch of them fly around lighted billboards eatting insects. Thanks for this post--very enlightening about our feathered friends.
I had never seen these birds before but on 9-3 I saw them in the field across the street must have been 20 or more in the flock as they continued to soar across the field and this continued all late afternoon. Great video , thanks for sharing
Wow this sound is exactly what had been freaking me out the last few days, I would run back in the house cause I thought it was some sort of bat. Anyway whew! I’m glad I know what this is. Thank goodness for UA-cam and google!! Oh by the way, where I’m hearing this is near Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Thanks again!!
Cincinnati Oh. It’s been since 2015 that I’ve heard them but never before. I thought they were bats too until I’d hear them during the day. Mystery solved. Now to figure out what kind of bird flew and sat on my car’s mirror staring at me for a whole minute.
We hear these in our neighborhood in Southern Wisconsin on late summer evenings. I have always maintained they were nighthawks and people looked at me like I was nuts. Thanks for confirming what I heard, but for some reason don't see!
Oh my god, this was tripping me out hardcore while camping. I'd never heard these before despite all the camping I've done. I swore it was like a bear in the woods or something cause of how big the noise was. It took a while to realize it was the damn bird when it swooped up!
Thank you for your information. My wife and I were sitting on our front steps in Campbell River in total darkness at about 11:00 pm. I had never heard such a sound. It scared my wife and I enough to go back indoors. It was diving at us within about three feet. We could not see what it was but after searching the web we found your video. Thanks again
This is great info! I heard these on the John Day River in Oregon, and I couldn't figure out what they were... with a little research, I finally know. Thanks
I love the sound of these birds. Especially late on Summer nights. I live in Pittsburgh and they are very common in my area. I had one circleing the house from around 12:30 am till 1:30 am one night. Definately my favorite bird!!!
This is one of the most common calls I hear in my area at dusk and evening, and I always welcome it because I know that NIghthawks are on the wing, catching insects by the thousands.
Fabulous! I’ve been wondering all summer what bird makes that bizarre noise. Amazing that they dive almost like a hummingbird, as the buzz of hummingbirds was the closest sound I could liken this to. I’ve never seen one of these but I’m keeping my eyes out for them now. Thank you!
In Yemen there are the world's largest variety of birds. Every early morning I wake up by birds singing in the trees around my house. It is just heaven. There is one type of birds, we call it the CALLER, he calls all birds to wake up by singing, then all birds start to wake up and they sing, this bird is always in pair, male and female, it has black head, grey wing and yellow body, and it is about 15 cm in length.
I've been searching for these sounds watching BC bird videos regularly and finally my neighbors figured it out! I thought the high pitched calls and the lower ones were different birds, this makes sense now. I ended up on some pretty interesting Sasquatch videos trying to ID this bird!!
I lived for many years in the foothills of the northern Colorado Front Range and these nighthawks are very common in that area. When I first heard the sound on my evening hikes, I thought it must be some kind of dangerous wild creature howling. It was really scary. After a few years, my research revealed that it was the sound of the nighthawks diving.
We used to get these in Texas, and we also have them in Illinois. I was watching them in a new largely open area last night at dusk. Saw one go into a dive with great speed, flatten out and then do zig-zag banks just like a fighter jet might. It flew about a second in each bank before changing direction with another bank.
After hearing the calls and seeing the shape here of the nighthawk, I am 90% sure these are the fellows I have seen at dusk while I was working for a week in the "southwest". I think it was either Nashville or Memphis. I do remember it was after sunset and they kept going in concentric circles above the light poles.
Finally! I now know what these are. It’s the weirdest sound. For the longest time I had no clue it was birds. It would be really creepy hearing it “somewhere” in the woods.
Thanks for the video. First time I heard these birds up here in B.C. Canada. Tried to see them in the dark, but they are so fast ... Now I know how they look like.
I was once in Starkville, Mississippi, on the University of Mississippi campus, and...I think I may have approached a nest too closely--I think there was a nest on the gravel roof of a 1-story building. At any rate, one of these nighthawks swooped very close (within 1 meter) to my head and I must say, at this distance, the sound is quite terrifying and startling.
It's still cold and mostly winter here in NEPA, but I just heard one of these! So strange. I ran out to my car to get my cell phone and heard it! I thought "Crickets? No wait... it's not even spring yet..." So I came inside and googled it, and sure enough that's the sound. Crazy!
My family also called the Bull Bats, although they are not bats. I don't know where that nickname came from, as I have lived in several states. Fascinating to watch the my and catch bugs.
One of the pleasures of living in Baker Cityin Eastern Oregon is the strong population of common nighthawks that return each year to this valley. They can be seen over Geisrer-Pollman park from early July until September as they hunt along the Powder river and search for flying insects. Many summer evenings I will be serenaded by the peeent peent of four or five nighthawks flying low over the canopy of trees. Some do nest I am sure on the many flat roofs of old victorian stores along Main Street
Great video. The Common Nighthawk is one of my all time favorite birds. We have lots of them here in Austin, Texas. I'll sit on the back porch and watch and listen to them do their thing most evenings. However, the boom sound is MUCH louder and longer than what I could here in your video.
Wonderfully said! 15 minutes ago I had 5 night hawks zipping around me eating a fresh hatch of insects but the show was like nothing I've ever seen before. With the wind holding the flying insects close to the surface of the water, the night hawks were turning on a dime just inches from the wavelets. Each time I experience them it's mind blowing but to have them flipping and turning so close to me, instead of high in the sky and at such speeds, this may have been my finest yet.
Me and a friend of mine were out on Sooner lake in Oklahoma bass fishing and we kept hearing that roaring noise, it about drove us nuts trying to figure out what it was. Finally I looked up in the air and saw the bird and noticed it was happening when it dove through the air.
Nighthawks are also known as Nightjars or sometimes night swallows. In flight, Nightjars can be mistaken for swallow because of their long board wings. This birds are also endemic in Southeast Asia the Philippines.
The nighthawk call reminds me of hot summer nights in my childhood in Iowa. I heard one last night for the first time in a while. Love these birds, thank you for this post!
Swap out Montreal for Iowa and it’s the same for me. My current neighbourhood has some, and this pleases me to no end. The nighthawk call is the sound of sultry summer dusk.
Something about that summer evening sound. It runs deep. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and now have lived in Nebraska for decades, and these birds and their calls have never not been with me.
I grew up in southwestern Missouri and heard these at night every summer. I called them "beerences" bc that's what they sounded like to me 😅
@@mclsandra Swap out St Paul MN and it's the same for me.
In the summer Common Nighthawks would fly around the light poles catching insects on the wing.
Flying high, making that distinct sound.
For years there were NONE, 00.00, Nada.
Now fast forward to 2022, 2023, 2024 I probably still only see (2) a season.
I just came back from Northwestern Wisconsin, south of Superior, Wi.
Over the lake at the "Back Yard" campground, while sitting on an outdoor couch on the deck
having a beer A DOZEN Nighthawks flying erratically overhead!!! Awesome!
Same here! Summer nights in Ohio . . .
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO. I had nightmares while backpacking in this area a while ago. This noise kept me and my friends up for hours. We were freaking out
I hope you've been out since then, they can be nice to fall asleep to now that you know what they are
Thanks for this video! The other night my wife and I were at our cabin, which sits below a ridge bordering wilderness area known to be populated by Grizzly, elk, wolves and more. Imagine hearing that "booming" sound at twilight! We were positive, given our ignorance, that there must be multiple large game animals "talking" to each other up on the ridge. We mustered our courage (along with bear spray and assorted weaponry) and crept up the hill. The nighthawks were highly active. As we sat on the ridge a hawk dive-bombed right in front of us and the truth was revealed! It was they making that amazing sound!
mike the gamer Highly concentrated pepper spray to ward off a Grizzly attack. Never hike without it in bear country.
I live in an urban area in northeast Ohio in a well treed neighborhood and have been hearing this sort of "screeching" every night. At first I thought it was an insect, but I went out one night with a strong flashlight and followed its calls for an hour until I caught a glimpse of it flying overhead maybe 60-80 feet up. I knew then that it was certainly a bird and have been searching UA-cam and Google for days. Thank you for posting this, I now know what we've got! Hevent heard the boom yet tho
I LOVE THESE BIRDS!!!
They are fascinating and sound so eerie
Thanks for the video. The nighthawk sound provides something i can't understand. Whenever/ wherever i hear it, i stop and look up, trying to find it. I now live in the city, but at my small ranch in central TX, i would see and hear them dropping from the sky just feet from me....a peace i can't ever forget - both the song and dive.. I should also note, the loon carries the sound which is inherently peaceful to me. You did a video on that, just stumbled on this today. Appreciated, though never noticed by many - in nature or your videos.
The last 20 years I have grown up just an hour from the gulf coast in south texas and never really knew what this might be coming from. I noticed one flying right above me on my walk. Its flight pattern was stunning. I looked for their song as well & I am delighted to find out that this is who I’ve grown up hearing! Thank you for sharing!
I just heard this sound outside at 1 in the morning and looked it up. How cool it is that you made this video. Thank you ❤
I've always lived in Ohio & I have heard these birds since I was a child but never could see them. Good memories. I witnessed one again just now & it made VERY fast dives & darts across the evening sky! So now, 50+ years later, I finally put a name & body to a screech!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much for this! I live in northwestern Oregon and although I knew the nighthawks and their call I did not know that the "boom" was coming from them too. That sound has been driving me crazy for years not knowing what was making it. Where I live the sound is very loud because of the acoustical nature of the place- you wouldn't believe the ideas I came up with for the origin of the sound! Seems really silly not to have understood that it came from the nighthawks now! Thanks again!
I have had the same experience, living in Nebraska! For years I wondered what that sound was, and I didn't connect it with the call of the Nighthawk. Then I was watching on in flight one day, repeatedly going into his dive, and I realized that he was making that sound.
SO glad you posted all this!! I'm a trucker and have wondered what makes that call while hanging out at FedEx/airport. But lately we've had one on our terminal that will sit in the exact same spot at night on the asphalt. He is not intimidated by my Freightliner rolling up on him until I'm damn near abt to run him over. Last night I pulled up beside him and talked to him thru the window. He didn't flinch. Turned off my engine (at which point the release of the air in the lines startles most things) and he didn't flinch. Got out and walked to within two feet of him with a flashlight and he still didn't move. Which got me to thinking something was wrong with him tonight and went back for my thick leather gloves. When I bent toward him he flew about 10 feet away. We repeated this about 3 times before he took to the air and started his call. Because of his diminutive size, I was thinking he might have been a Kite but couldn't find any with those telltale white stripes...
Quite common in Homestead, Florida. I get dive bombed by a good number of them where I walk my dog. Last night I was lucky enough to watch one hunt and catch insects in mid flight.
Same here in Homestead ave., NJ
There are tons of these in Stephenville, TX. They showed up last year and have multiplied in the area. They dive mostly in the morning here and absolutely love stormy skies. Low clouds are really fun for them.
beautiful,and very athletic birds.Thanks for your vid!
Thanks for sharing this! Its the only video I found to show my wife. I used to have these over my apartment in downtown Binghamton NY in the late 70s and early 80s, but never see or hear them anymore. I always thought they were ordinary. Now they are very special to remember. Why are they rare here now is the question.
We encountered a number of these birds after sundown when we were camping in the Willamette national forest on this high ridge, and at first we thought that the loud noise was a bigger animal, but eventually we spotted these cool birds with white spots hunting moths and such! Thanks for sharing the sounds.
I love their screech and sonic booms.
I live in Malheur and I think the birds are one of my favorite parts of this place
LOVE them since i was a very young boy sitting with my grandmother
Me too! My grandma lived in a city neighborhood & every time I hear one of these at nighttime , it's a good memory.
We had nighthawks in Charlotte NC in the 60s & 70s. Summer nights you could hear them making these calls overhead. Loved them!!
Nighthawks were one of the first birds to capture my imagination as a child; I still get unreasonably exited when I spot them dashing about in the evening. Thanks for this.
"Unreasonably excited" exactly describes how I feel when I hear them, especially the first time each spring after they arrive (San Juan Island, WA).
@@robinatkins5332 Sadly, I haven't seen them in my area for several years now.
Edit August 2022 They we're back this summer!
@Robin Atkins wow I lived in Anacortes Fildago island For 13 years never heard them . Now, in central Florida and just last night they are back , spring time . Awesome! they have such a unique sound.
I concur! I was in my early 30 when i heard my first and to this day in my late 40's they still captivate me! I'm at such an ahh that they can perform such a harrowing feat!! I go out at dusk just to catch these awesome feathered friends flying the night sky with ease.
@@robinatkins5332 we have them on the Rathdrum prairie in north Idaho and it's simply mesmerizing, i love sounds at dusk of the symphony composed by them.
We watched in rapt enjoyment with 2 other friends last evening just as dusk fell in the warm dry desert northwest of Phoenix, AZ perhaps 15 or 20 Common Nighthawks hunting insects. The dives and darts almost appeared choreographed as the intricate dance of their hunt filled the night air.
That sounds neat. Where I live, I often see them fly over my swimming pool at night.
Watched a flock of 30+ Common Night Hawks last evening, as they flew along the shoreline of the Ottawa River, near Pembroke, Ontario. Lovely to see such large numbers, as I haven't seen them in several years!
Do you still see them 11 years later?
@@ScottAndrew No, sadly. Have not seen nor heard very few since that evening. Many locals bought bug killing machines and they worked, sadly.
@@onallumette That is unfortunate to hear. Thank you for responding 11 years later from your original post)
Rehabbed a couple of these. They're amazing!
A friend on Vancouver Island heard these yesterday. What a sound!
We had so many of these flying over a high school football game at night that the announcer commented on them. It was phenomenal.
I rescued one of these birds this morning and went to look it up and show someone the noise it made and here it was...that boom sound was awesome
love em, super cool bird. the swooping noise is awesome
I heard this sound during a night hike near Nederland, CO and nearly shat my pantaloons. Thanks for the detailed explanation of what the sound really was!
I used to live there. Beautiful mountain town.
We have these in midsummer here in MA, but they appear to be gone now. They would chirp like this at night in an urban neighborhood. I never associated the wing ruffle booming with the bird until watching this video. I also use the Merlin app daily. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Living in Nebraska, these birds are pretty common. Lovely birds, and their call always gives me a Spring/Summer feeling! Never have heard of the booming, but I recall that there were periods in June when they would swoop down towards the front lawn when certain insects were hatching. Quite the sight!!!:)
heard these little guys flying all over downtown St Paul MN last night. very interesting birds, and easy to recognize.
👍🤚Thanks Greg for wonderful explore and video. I have never heard the mechanical sound like before but you can bet I will tune in more when I see them hope I get a chance to experience. Learned something new thanks and thank you for sharing Cornell. From Florida take care 💕
Awesome. My family just came from walking and two of these were flying over the local track the whole time and one was screeching continuously nonstop. I had no idea what they were and they were drawing a crowd of people just watching them trying to figure out what they were. Now we know, thank you for the video!
We had 9 of these awesome birds flying around over my house this week. What a sight.
Ah, thanks for this! Lived in Hayward, Wisconsin on their Main street, constantly heard this screech and diving sound outside my window, nightly. Always wondered what type of bird that was, making it all.
Heard these for years every morning and night after rifle team practice. We couldn't see them at KHS but it was surreal to experience. Glad someone there knew what the hell was making the noise.
Incredibly awesome creature. Ty 4 this beautiful video.
Heard this boom for years, never realised what it was. Thanks!
I love hearing these guys on late afternoon walks. That sound they make when they dive is amazing
Thank you so much for clearing up a mystery. I lived in a city in southern Ontario as a kid and on hot summer nights, we heard what I used to call "the skeezix bird". Once in a while I'd hear that short sort of groan sound. No one else could hear it and they thought I was crazy. My brother finally admitted he heard something but he said, "That's sound waves bouncing off the buildings." I had to accept that explanation until now. I didn't even know what the name of the bird was until now.
Two live in my neighborhood in the middle of Chicago. The most wonderful sound as you're trying to fall asleep.
I’ve been recording this exact thing for a few nights and watching this bird swoop and dive and make that sound with its wings. I’m so glad to finally be able to identify the bird and understand what it’s doing. Thank you!
(The one I’m hearing/seeing does this calling and swooping from just before sunset until just before sunrise...nonstop, in a continuous pattern above our pool area.)
Man thank u!!! I live in Georgia and this bird has flew over my job this time of year for years every night and i always wondered what it was. You can even hear them swooping down which could freak u out at night! Lol. Thank u!!!
On this past Saturday night 8/24/24, my whole family and I witnessed what I would honestly say close to a few thousand night hawks flying above our campground for two consecutive days coming down close enough to see the bars on their wings and to hear them. First they they swarmed over the lake and the second(24th), over the fields for over three hours each time that they were seen. My son-in-law got a photo close enough to ID them. I’ve never seen one before. This was in south western NH.
They started out rather high in the air and slowly descended close enough for pictures and ID.
Back in the 60's and 70's and 80's I could see 20 or so swooping around above my house in the city of Ft. Wayne, IN. Once in awhile I would see the swoop. I only saw one up close once, in an oak tree. I think it might have been sick as it was during the day. They used to roost on the top of the hospital. Now, with the hospital having been torn down I see only afew all summer. Usually I would notice them around May 11. Like clockwork. They are my favorite bird, but definitely fewer than in the past.
These dudes are everywhere here on the Kansas prairie. We just love them! One of God's cooler birds for sure! 🤠
Really neat birds. I ran into one camping in SW Washington state a few years ago. It was dusk and I started hearing the 'chirping'. The 'booming' sound they make really startled me, I thought it was a bear nearby, it was pretty loud. He dive bombed pretty close to me a few times, probably curious about me, as I was far off the road and not in a place where people usually camp.
I haven't heard them at night but I see them dive playing durring the day and buzzing on the way down.
That white under their pointed wings look like a big white dot as the fly. They fly very erratically, much like a bat here in Western Washington.
Thx 4 the great video.
NE IOWA checking-in...i thought this sound was coming from my barn swallows...cuz that's what's flying around the barn. though...last month (june) i did see a nighthawk in full evening display, ballet-dancing on the air, in front of me and another...it was so beautiful! like a gift from the great beyond. and then, yesterday...a pileated woodpecker! NEVER SEEN one of those! another gift!
I saw them today for the first time. It was an unusually cool, cloudy day out at the local refuge and there they were, hunting over one of the large ponds.
That's awesome, just got back from a camping trip in the high cascades in oregon and seen these for the first time
I have lived in a forested area for the last 5 years and there are nighthawks here too. I have heard that booming sound since I was first here and was stumped to what it was. Earlier this year I was talking to some people that came through here and that subject came up and they told me that they had heard it was nighthawks making that sound, Now this video finally confirms it. Thanks Greg!
I love these birds! I heard them every dusk in. Ohio, often heard the whoosh sound as they dove. I have not seen them yet where I live in Wyoming near the Snowies. But today I saw several Red-Tailed Hawks out in the range area. However I miss my nighthawks!
I hear one right now! Wow, it amazes me that they have a boom in flight!
I have lived in Atlanta all these years and never knew those birds I saw around sunset making those calls were Night Hawks. I would see a bunch of them fly around lighted billboards eatting insects. Thanks for this post--very enlightening about our feathered friends.
I had never seen these birds before but on 9-3 I saw them in the field across the street must have been 20 or more in the flock as they continued to soar across the field and this continued all late afternoon. Great video , thanks for sharing
Got buzzed last weekend camping near Shelton WA on a clear cut. Amazing.
They are sooo fast and agile. I want to come back as a Nighthawk in my next life...I think it would be a TON of fun! :D
I’ve been searching for this bird for years.
Very helpful and insightful, thanks for the video
Wow this sound is exactly what had been freaking me out the last few days, I would run back in the house cause I thought it was some sort of bat. Anyway whew! I’m glad I know what this is. Thank goodness for UA-cam and google!! Oh by the way, where I’m hearing this is near Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Thanks again!!
9m
There's alot of them near garrison
Cincinnati Oh. It’s been since 2015 that I’ve heard them but never before. I thought they were bats too until I’d hear them during the day. Mystery solved. Now to figure out what kind of bird flew and sat on my car’s mirror staring at me for a whole minute.
Some other birds sound similar.
We hear these in our neighborhood in Southern Wisconsin on late summer evenings. I have always maintained they were nighthawks and people looked at me like I was nuts. Thanks for confirming what I heard, but for some reason don't see!
Oh my god, this was tripping me out hardcore while camping. I'd never heard these before despite all the camping I've done. I swore it was like a bear in the woods or something cause of how big the noise was. It took a while to realize it was the damn bird when it swooped up!
I heard these in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Awesome birds
In Iowa I work overnights and on the nights I’m off I always hear them outside with the windows open!
Thank you for your information. My wife and I were sitting on our front steps in Campbell River in total darkness at about 11:00 pm. I had never heard such a sound. It scared my wife and I enough to go back indoors. It was diving at us within about three feet. We could not see what it was but after searching the web we found your video. Thanks again
Living in Toronto I finally know what bird is making that call every night. Thanks!
This is great info! I heard these on the John Day River in Oregon, and I couldn't figure out what they were... with a little research, I finally know. Thanks
I love the sound of these birds. Especially late on Summer nights. I live in Pittsburgh and they are very common in my area. I had one circleing the house from around 12:30 am till 1:30 am one night. Definately my favorite bird!!!
This is one of the most common calls I hear in my area at dusk and evening, and I always welcome it because I know that NIghthawks are on the wing, catching insects by the thousands.
Fabulous! I’ve been wondering all summer what bird makes that bizarre noise. Amazing that they dive almost like a hummingbird, as the buzz of hummingbirds was the closest sound I could liken this to. I’ve never seen one of these but I’m keeping my eyes out for them now. Thank you!
In Yemen there are the world's largest variety of birds. Every early morning I wake up by birds singing in the trees around my house. It is just heaven. There is one type of birds, we call it the CALLER, he calls all birds to wake up by singing, then all birds start to wake up and they sing, this bird is always in pair, male and female, it has black head, grey wing and yellow body, and it is about 15 cm in length.
Just saw one here in Nebraska! One of the nearest birds ever seen in my entire life! September 4th 2023
I've been searching for these sounds watching BC bird videos regularly and finally my neighbors figured it out! I thought the high pitched calls and the lower ones were different birds, this makes sense now. I ended up on some pretty interesting Sasquatch videos trying to ID this bird!!
Thank you for this!! I thought I was hearing a bat every night, and couldn’t tell what was flying so high up.
beautiful bird behavior thanks I enjoy this channel alot
I lived for many years in the foothills of the northern Colorado Front Range and these nighthawks are very common in that area. When I first heard the sound on my evening hikes, I thought it must be some kind of dangerous wild creature howling. It was really scary. After a few years, my research revealed that it was the sound of the nighthawks diving.
Lucky, i found your video...just moved into a new apartment and every night the same bird calls and buzzing. "The more you know"
We used to get these in Texas, and we also have them in Illinois. I was watching them in a new largely open area last night at dusk. Saw one go into a dive with great speed, flatten out and then do zig-zag banks just like a fighter jet might. It flew about a second in each bank before changing direction with another bank.
Thanks for audio Kenn Know that melodic voice anywhere!
Their song is truly amazing to hear.
After hearing the calls and seeing the shape here of the nighthawk, I am 90% sure these are the fellows I have seen at dusk while I was working for a week in the "southwest". I think it was either Nashville or Memphis. I do remember it was after sunset and they kept going in concentric circles above the light poles.
Finally! I now know what these are. It’s the weirdest sound. For the longest time I had no clue it was birds. It would be really creepy hearing it “somewhere” in the woods.
Have recently experienced these in the interior regions of North Florida. Pretty cool to hear them in the evening sky...
I get a real otherworldly feeling from these magnificent little birds. Look up the Spiritual Connection with Night Hawk, it's all about Creative Work
Thank you, beautiful 🥰
Beautiful bird, but that eerie sound it makes has tormented me since I was born
Thanks for the video.
First time I heard these birds up here in B.C. Canada. Tried to see them in the dark, but they are so fast ...
Now I know how they look like.
The nighthawk call descends at the end, while the woodcock's stays on one note.
I was once in Starkville, Mississippi, on the University of Mississippi campus, and...I think I may have approached a nest too closely--I think there was a nest on the gravel roof of a 1-story building. At any rate, one of these nighthawks swooped very close (within 1 meter) to my head and I must say, at this distance, the sound is quite terrifying and startling.
It's still cold and mostly winter here in NEPA, but I just heard one of these! So strange. I ran out to my car to get my cell phone and heard it! I thought "Crickets? No wait... it's not even spring yet..." So I came inside and googled it, and sure enough that's the sound. Crazy!
Elizabeth Burgess Listen to American Woodcock... that sounds more likely at that time of year.
My family also called the Bull Bats, although they are not bats. I don't know where that nickname came from, as I have lived in several states. Fascinating to watch the my and catch bugs.
One of the pleasures of living in Baker Cityin Eastern Oregon is the strong population of common nighthawks that return each year to this valley. They can be seen over Geisrer-Pollman park from early July until September as they hunt along the Powder river and search for flying insects. Many summer evenings I will be serenaded by the peeent peent of four or five nighthawks flying low over the canopy of trees. Some do nest I am sure on the many flat roofs of old victorian stores along Main Street
I live in downtown Nappanee, Indiana. I hear several of these at night.
That was great! Thank you very much!
Great video. The Common Nighthawk is one of my all time favorite birds. We have lots of them here in Austin, Texas. I'll sit on the back porch and watch and listen to them do their thing most evenings. However, the boom sound is MUCH louder and longer than what I could here in your video.
Wonderfully said!
15 minutes ago I had 5 night hawks zipping around me eating a fresh hatch of insects but the show was like nothing I've ever seen before. With the wind holding the flying insects close to the surface of the water, the night hawks were turning on a dime just inches from the wavelets. Each time I experience them it's mind blowing but to have them flipping and turning so close to me, instead of high in the sky and at such speeds, this may have been my finest yet.
i've been trying to find out what kind of nocturnal bird was in my area. Thanks for the video, now I know it's a night hawk! Thanks for sharing
Me and a friend of mine were out on Sooner lake in Oklahoma bass fishing and we kept hearing that roaring noise, it about drove us nuts trying to figure out what it was. Finally I looked up in the air and saw the bird and noticed it was happening when it dove through the air.
Nighthawks are also known as Nightjars or sometimes night swallows. In flight, Nightjars can be mistaken for swallow because of their long board wings. This birds are also endemic in Southeast Asia the Philippines.