Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii)

Common Poorwill
Phalaenoptilus nuttallii

The *Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii)* is a small nightjar which breeds across much of the western United States and a few locations in western Canada. The species can be found from desert flats to mountain foothills where it forages for insects on the wing at night. The bird nests on the ground and it can be very well camouflaged. This species is often seen sitting on ranch roads at night. The image shown here shows a poorwill sitting on its nest at Kickapoo Caverns, Kinney Co., Texas, in July, 1990. This shot was taken with a Canon T-90 and FD 400mm F/4.5 lens on Kodak Ektachrome film.
The image shown here and the next two below it show another Common Poorwill in May, 1996, on its nest at the same location as the 1990 shot above. The same equipment was used.