Page 24 - Abacoa Community News - January '25

Page 24, Abacoa
Northern Notes

Nightjars, Nighthawks And thanks to their cryptic gray, brown, and blackish plumage
and the birds’ squat, “neckless” shape. They often prove
Chuck Will’s Widows challenging to spot even while roosting quietly on a tree
branch or fence post.
By Katie Roundtree, They usually lay their eggs directly on the ground rather
Director of Finance and than in a nest. They are incredibly good at camouflage,
Administration, and their coloring allows them to blend in remarkably
Northern Palm Beach well with the leaves and trees around them. Their soft
County Improvement plumage is colored to resemble bark or leaves, protecting
District them from their primary predators: foxes and raccoons.
Nighthawks and Chuck As a defense, these birds can hide in leaves on the ground,
Will’s Widows are common spread their wings and open their mouths to resemble
birds in South Florida, but cottonmouth snakes preparing to strike. Some species As a defense, these birds can hide in leaves on the ground,
most people have never perch face lengthwise along a branch rather than across spread their wings and open their mouths to resemble
seen one. They are members it as birds usually do to hide during the day, blending cottonmouth snakes preparing to strike.
of the Nightjar family and seamlessly with tree bark.
are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular (active at the case with Nightjars, the Chuck-Will’s-widow was
dawn and dusk) birds in the family Caprimulgidae. named due to its song, which to many sounds like a phrase
Nightjars are found worldwide, except Antarctica and composed of the words “chuck,” “will’s,” and “widow”:
certain island groups such as the Seychelles. Nightjars “Chuck Will’s Widow. Chuck-will’s-WID-ow. Chuck-
are primarily found in Europe, while Nighthawks and will’s-WID-ow.” The first syllable of the call is often hard
Chuck Will’s Widows are found more in the New World. for humans to hear. You can hear their distinctive call in
Nightjars, Nighthawks and Chuck Will’s Widows belong the evening or pre-dawn hours.
to a family of birds with the folk name “goatsuckers.” As is the case with many Nightjars worldwide,
The family name, Caprimulgidae, literally means “milker Nighthawk and Chuck Will’s Widow numbers are
of goats” and is based on declining. The factors driving these declines are elusive,
an ancient belief that the but habitat destruction, declining insect populations,
birds milked goats with and pesticide contamination have all been suggested as
their enormous mouths each potential culprits.
night. In reality, the birds’ These fantastic but rarely seen birds are an integral
attraction to livestock was part of the Florida ecosystem. Now that the evenings are
likely due to the presence The Common Nighthawk’s erratic, acrobatic flight style cool, enjoy a walk by a preserve area in or around your
of insects. gives the bird its folk name “bullbat.” They fly alone or in neighborhood. Listen for the call of the “widow” or watch
They are unique birds groups in a looping pattern. This dusky hunter jerks and the looping Nighthawks as they search for dinner.
with a distinctive look weaves through the air on long, pointed wings, flashing
characterized by long distinctive white wing patches. NPDES tip: Storms occur all year round. Make sure
wings, small feet, short Chuck Will’s Widows are the largest of the Nightjars your yards and trees are trimmed neatly to avoid flying
legs, and very short bills. and are primarily nocturnal. They have enormous mouths debris during a storm. Dispose of your trimmings and
They have short bills but have enormous mouths when that, when open, can catch flying insects like beetles and clippings properly—do not put them into storm drains or
opened to allow them to catch insects at night. They have moths but can even catch small birds or bats on occasion. lakes!
bristles around their beaks called rictal bristles, which Their name is an onomatopoeia from its song. As is often
are stiff hair-like feathers that arise around the base of
the beak. The function of rictal bristles is uncertain,
although several possibilities have been proposed. They
may function as a “net,” helping to capture flying prey.
Your family dentist in
Some evidence suggests that they may prevent particles
from striking the eyes. There is also evidence that the rictal Your family dentist in
bristles of some species may function tactilely, like that
of mammalian whiskers, to help detect prey.
Widows can be found in various habitats, most
commonly in open areas with some vegetation. Locally,
they live in and around upland preserves. Nighthawks
Palm
Palm Beach Gardens
Beach
Gardens
usually spend their days hidden, sometimes in plain view,

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