Bird and wildlife enthusiasts have an opportunity this summer to gather data on two nighttime data-deficient avian flying bug eaters.
The common poorwill—a nightjar or nocturnal bird—a bat-like flier that hunts insects from dusk to dawn.
The common nighthawk is another nightjar.
The Montana Audubon and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will be training citizen scientists to survey these two data-deficient species this summer.
The data collection will help scientists and conservationists more accurately assess the needs of these aerial insectivores.
“Birds are barometers and if we see their population or distribution is changing--population is declining or distribution is changing-- we can sort of get a pulse on how conditions in the environment and stability of conditions,” said Montana Audubon Conservation Director Christian Meny.
These volunteers will be assigned a driving route with 10 stop points-- at least one mile apart—from 60 minutes before sunset to 90 minutes after sunset to listen and scan the night skies with binoculars.
Meny says they could witness some spectacular nighttime aerial displays.
“The common nighthawk for instance have allowed peent calls. And they also do what they call ‘booming’ where they…It’s an aerial breeding display where they fly high into the sky and then they swoop straight down and they are so fast that it makes this booming sound,” Meny commented.
FWP and Montana Audubon have in-person and virtual training opportunities where volunteers will learn about species identification, survey protocols and data collection. The sessions are Friday, May 9, in-person. at the Montana Audubon Center, 7026 South Billings Boulevard, Billings; May 14 at a Zoom training; and June 27, in person at the Montana WILD Center, 2668 Broadwater Avenue, Helena.
Meny said the funding for this project is from the Tracy Aviary, the LEAW Family Foundation and the Montana Audubon donors and members.
More information is available at Montana Audubon.
