Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) Caprimulgidae
Palouse Falls State Park, WA
June 8, 2015
Robert Niese
Nighthawks are neither hawks nor are they nocturnal. They are more closely related to swifts and hummingbirds than to hawks, and they tend to be more crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) than nocturnal. They are most easily observed while hunting insects over bodies of water. Look for their characteristic dihedral (v-shaped) wings and listen for their calls. This was the first time I had ever seen a nighthawk perched! So cute!
Northwest Naturalist 