Meet the Common Poorwill, a nocturnal bird from the nightjar family that is found throughout the arid west. Although some populations don’t migrate, like those in the warm southwest, northern poorwills do head to warmer climates in the winter. Peak migration is between August and October. Poorwills don’t migrate in large groups. They prefer to travel independently or in small, casual flocks, following the Rocky Mountains south to their winter home. During this time, collisions with windows are a

Common Poorwill release, look at that mouth! These nocturnal songbirds are often mistaken for owls but they’re actually in the nightjar family. This one was found stunned but with no significant injuries and at a good weight so it wasn’t with us long, thankfully. #wildliferehab #ojai #poorwill | The Ojai Raptor Center

🤏 The Common Poorwill is the smallest North American nightjar, with short, rounded wings and a short tail with small white outer tips. In the same family as the Eastern Whip-poor-will and Chuck-will’s-widow, the Common Poorwill shares their nocturnal habits and onomatopoetic name. 🎶 Its cryptic plumage of mottled gray and brown provides excellent camouflage, and its large, dark eyes are well-adapted for vision in low light. 🌌👀 But this nightjar also has a unique behavior all its own; in fact