Monitoring a Common Poorwill Nest Site

Male Common Poorwill Wasatch Mountains Utah County, Utah

An endeavor to locate and and photograph Great Basin Collared Lizards on June 8th resulted in a series of visits to a Common Poorwill nest site.

It all started as I was exploring prime habitat for collared lizards--a rocky desert hillside with sparse vegetation. That particular hillside was punctuated with scattered sagebrush and junipers. I was coursing along a south-facing rocky outcrop when a Common Poorwill, an elusive nocturnal bird, flushed from its daytime roost. I wondered if I had stumbled upon a nest site, but when I checked the base of the bush from which the bird flushed I noticed only a single feather. Perhaps it was just the bird's roost for the day, but I captured an image with my phone to preserve a GPS location in case I wanted to return a week or so later to check for evidence of nesting.

My search for collared lizards was quite productive and resulted in some nice photos. My friend Eric enjoyed the photos and asked if I'd take him out to the same location since he'd never photographed collared lizards. We made that trip the next day, June 9th.

I mentioned my encounter with the Poorwills as we hiked up the hillside and suggested we check the previous roosting site. As we approached that site two birds flushed, not from the previous bush, but from a nook of the rocky outcrop. Both birds flew quite a distance, without any attempt to do a distraction display so I could tell that they had no eggs nor chicks to protect. There was no evidence of nesting in nor around that nook so we moved along the hillside. After covering about fifty more yards I was surprised when a third poorwill flushed from the base of a bush to my left. That bird landed a short distance away and did a distraction display, which clued me in to that fact that it had flushed from a nest site. I immediately realized that the poorwill was doing what nature had programmed it to do--protect its offspring. The bird appeared to be a female because it lacked the white corners that males have in their tail feathers. Since both sexes are known to incubate it can't be taken for granted that a bird flushing from a nest site is a female.

Common Poorwill Distraction Display Near Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

Rather than follow the bird after it flushed I inspected the base of the bush from which the bird had flown.  I beamed with excitement when I observed two white eggs and promptly alerted Eric so he could observe the eggs as well.

Common Poorwill Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

Common Poorwill Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

The previous images illustrate typical nesting behavior for Common Poorwills--laying their eggs in gravelly areas next to bushes that provides a fair amount of shade. These two eggs were on the south side of a bush on a south-facing hillside. They were situated in a way that allowed morning sun followed by shade from mid-morning through evening. Because I am fascinated by nature and the cycle of life, and because it is quite rare to find a poorwill nest site, I shared with Eric my desire to carefully and briefly revisit the site every few days to document the progress.

Several days later on June 13th we returned to the site and observed that an adult was still incubating the eggs.

Common Poorwill Incubating Eggs Great Basin Desert Utah

Common Poorwill Incubating Eggs Great Basin Desert Utah

I returned to the site by myself on June 17th to discover that one chick had just hatched and the second was in the process of hatching.

Common Poorwill Hatchling and Egg Great Basin Desert Utah

The upper right edge of the remaining egg shows evidence of a breach, evidence that the second chick was in the process of hatching. The tiny beak, nostrils, and eyelids were the only distinguishing features among the messy fluff of down feathers.

Common Poorwill Hatchling and Egg Great Basin Desert Utah

Common Poorwill Egg Shell Being Breached By Chick Great Basin Desert Utah

I made another quick visit to the site on June 19th, ten days after initially discovering the two eggs, with hopes of confirming that the second chick had successfully hatched. Sure enough the adult had two chicks tucked under its chest. The down feathers of one chick can be seen slightly protruding from beneath the bird's left side, the right side from our perspective.

Common Poorwill on Chicks at Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

Common Poorwill on Chicks at Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

The adult moved away and began its distraction display as I slowly approached. I quickly captured images of the chicks for documentation purposes and left the site.

Common Poorwill Hatchlings at Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

Common Poorwill Hatchlings at Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

When I returned on the 23rd, just under a week after the chicks had hatched, down feathers were being replaced by pin feathers on both chicks.

Common Poorwill Hatchlings at Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

On the 27th, about ten days after hatching, both chicks were still at their hatch site and were beginning to show signs of typical cryptic plumage.

Common Poorwill Chicks at Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

Common Poorwill Chicks at Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

Common Poorwill Chicks at Nest Site Great Basin Desert Utah

As I was leaving the area after this afternoon visit I noticed that my truck was registering a temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a reminder of some of the harsh conditions that are endured by creatures that live in our local desert.

My last observation of the two chicks took place on the 30th, nearly two weeks after the chicks had hatched. Eric joined me on this trip. We discovered that the birds had fledged and moved to a new roosting site about 20 yards up the hill from their hatch site. Knowing that it might be my last observation since the birds had ventured from their hatch site I took the opportunity to capture detailed images of their plumage and features.

Common Poorwill Fledglings Near Original Hatch Site Great Basin Desert Utah

Common Poorwill Fledgling Beak and Nostril Detail

Common Poorwill Fledgling Crown Feather Development

Common Poorwill Fledgling Feather Development

Common Poorwill Fledgling Feather Development

Common Poorwill Fledgling Feather Development

This image was captured to remind me of where the eggs were laid and where I last saw the chicks because I was unable to locate them several days later when I made my last attempt to observe their development. I feel grateful for the opportunity to watch those chicks develop. I'm also grateful to have a desert playground to explore so close to home.

Return of the Night Rider: The Search for Common Poorwills

Birding is thought to be an odd hobby by some. I have a hunch that this post may solidify my place as an odd birder. I can be an unorthodox birder at times. I think much of it stems from my childhood. I'm not referring to the psychological impact of my crazy childhood. I'm talking about how exploring nature played a big part in my childhood. When my friends were watching cartoons on Saturday mornings I chose to discover something new through an outdoor adventure instead.

I often have to repeat myself when I tell people I'm a birder. "A what?", they ask. When I use the words "bird watcher" they understand what I'm saying. "Bird watching" for me, however, conjures up images of someone just sitting around and waiting for birds to appear. That's way too passive for me. I prefer a more active approach--I go looking for the birds in varied habitats and I use creative means at times to explore those habitats. Saturday morning, for example, I drove my truck around the Provo Airport Dike with a friend. We found two rare birds for Utah County, a male Summer Tanager and a Northern Waterthrush. After the drive around the dike I drove into the nearby mountains and hiked ravines and ridges to the point of a near heart attack searching for mountain birds. A Cooper's Hawk was a nice find. However, this post isn't about those birds or those means for getting around. This post is about using a mountain bike and a headlamp to find a relatively unknown crepuscular/nocturnal bird that comes to breed in Utah during the summer months.

About three years ago I purchased a headlamp because I wanted to be able to ride my mountain bike for exercise before the sun was up. The headlamp was intended for safety, but it soon revealed an interesting benefit to biking in the foothills in the dark. I realized that the light reflected from the eyes of deer, raccoons, rabbits, assorted cats, and more. The first morning I tried the headlamp I noticed a small dark object on the trail ahead of me. A small reflection was coming from the thicker side of the object. As I got closer the dark object took flight. I wondered if I had just seen my first Common Poorwill. It landed about 15 feet down the trail so I approached it slowly and got close enough to see that it was indeed a Poorwill. That gave birth to a spring/summer evening tradition--night riding for Poorwills. What a thrill to be riding along in the dark and see the familiar glow coming from the trail ahead or a nearby hillside!

This past Saturday I set out for my first night ride of the season. I strapped on the headlamp, put a spotlight in the child seat into which I usually put my grandson, and put on a backpack containing my camera gear. I rode a 2 1/2 mile stretch without seeing more than a rabbit and a few people walking dogs. I turned around realizing that I would be seeing the area from a different angle, which had proven productive in the past, so I had not given up hope. About half way back to my home I saw the object of my search. Small eyes reflected my light from the top of a rock on the hillside about 30 yards from me. I put down the bike, grabbed the spotlight and camera, and walked slowly toward the bird. The bird posed calmly as I captured a few images from the front, side, and rear--all the while holding the spotlight between my knees so I could use my hands for the camera. Can you picture a young-at-heart 50-year-old grandpa doing such a thing at 10:30 at night while the rest of the community below was heading off to bed?

This first image isn't as clear as the others that follow, but it shows the dark throat of the Poorwill. There is a white band on the front of the neck, but it doesn't show when these birds are at rest. These birds have rather weak feet with very long center toes. You can see those center toes in the image below.

Common Poorwill Along Murdock Canal Trail in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I noticed that its left eye seemed to have a glossy film over its surface. I don't believe it was the nictitating membrane (third eyelid) because it remained in place without blinking. You can see the glossy look in the images below. You can also see the bristles on both sides of the bill. These are believed to be helpful when foraging for insects in the dark.

Common Poorwill Along Murdock Canal Trail in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

The relatively small bill gives no indication of the large size of the poorwill's mouth. The gape, which extends as far back as the eyes, is hidden by feathers until the mouth is opened. Having a large mouth, nearly as wide as its head, is beneficial when snatching flying insects from the air.

Common Poorwill Along Murdock Canal Trail in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

The white corners seen on the tail feathers below indicates that this bird is a male. Females show a buff/tan color on the corners of the tail.

Common Poorwill Along Murdock Canal Trail in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

This last image provides a profile to show the bulkiness of a Poorwill's head. You can see that it is rather long for such a diminutive bird.

Common Poorwill Along Murdock Canal Trail in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Common Poorwills are the smallest of the nightjar family of birds and is found in the arid west from deserts and sagebrush into canyons and foothills during the spring and summer months. They winter in places like Mexico and the very southwest edge of the US. I've heard Poorwills singing at very high altitudes in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. They are about 8 inches long with a wingspan of about 16 1/2 inches. They are crepuscular (most active just after sunset and before sunrise) insectivores. They time their breeding with a full moon so they can hunt through the night to feed their young. They perch on the ground and rock outcroppings to hunt for moths and other insects that pass their way. They will often jump up from the ground to catch flying insects. Their wing structure allows them to fly in relative silence. Some individuals are known to go torpid during cold snaps and even essentially hibernate rather than migrate southward for the winter months. They hide in rocky crevices, reduce their body temperature, slow their breathing, and essentially shut down their digestive system during such times. This makes them unique among American birds.