Nighthawk
| Nighthawk | |
|---|---|
| Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family: | Caprimulgidae |
| Subfamily: | Chordeilinae |
| Genera | |
The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, which is a grouping of 92 species of medium-sized birds with long wings and short bills specialized for eating insects. The nighthawk's subfamily consists of four genera: Chordeiles; Swainson, 1832, Lurocalis; Cassin, 1851, Podager; Wagler, 1832, and Nyctiprogne; Bonaparte, 1857, which are all native to the western hemisphere.