Common Nighthawk

Chordeiles minor (Forster, JR, 1771) (1, 26)

Photo © Gary L. Clark, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

STATUS

North America. Polytypic: nine subspecies.

OVERVIEW

Fourteen of the first twenty individuals were found on the Isles of Scilly, but since the last there in 2008, five of the following six have occurred in England, as far north as Co. Durham, with the second for Scotland occurring in Argyll 2019. There is one Welsh record concerning an individual found dead in 1999.

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BBRC RECORDS

1). 1927 Isles of Scilly Abbey, Tresco, adult female, shot, 17th September, now at Isles of Scilly Museum, St Mary’s (IOSM RN956.8).

(N. B. Kinnear, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 48: 41; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 22: 98-100; BOURC (1928), Ibis 70: 321; W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter, British Birds 48: 8; Penhallurick, 1978).

2). 1955 Isles of Scilly Lighthouse and Parsonage, St Agnes, two: female and juvenile, 28th September, juvenile remaining to 5th October.

(B. H. Ryves, H. M. Quick & A. G. Parsons, Cornwall Bird Watching & Preservation Society Report 1955: 35-36; Penhallurick, 1978).

4). 1971 Isles of Scilly St Agnes, immature, 12th to 13th October, photo.

(B. D. Harding, British Birds 65: 301-302; F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 65: 338, plate 51; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 90; British Birds 102: plate 263).

5). 1971 Nottinghamshire Bulcote, immature, 18th and 21st October.

(A. Dobbs, British Birds 65: 302-303; F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 65: 338).

6). 1976 Isles of Scilly Porth Hellick beach, St Mary's, adult female, found dead, 14th October, photo, now at Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro (RCM TRURI: 2007.30.405).

(J. O'Sullivan and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 70: 427; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 90).

7). 1976 Isles of Scilly Airfield, St Mary's, female, found dead, 25th October.

(J. O'Sullivan and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 70: 427).

8). 1978 Orkney Kirkwall Airport, Mainland, trapped, 12th September.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 72: 529; A. D. K. Ramsay, Scottish Birds 11: 85).

9). 1981 Isles of Scilly Rocky Hill, St Mary's, 12th to 14th October.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 75: 511).

10). 1982 Isles of Scilly St Warna's Cove, St Agnes, immature, 20th October to 4th November.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 76: 503).

11). 1983 Dorset Studland village, 25th October.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 77: 539).

12). 1984 Greater London/Surrey Barnes Common, adult male, moribund, 23rd October, died in care 28th October, now in possession of B. A. Marsh, photo.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 78: 562; London Bird Report, 1984: photo; Surrey Bird Report 1984: photo; Wheatley, 2007).

13). 1985 Cheshire & Wirral Moreton, Wirral, first-winter, taken into care exhausted, 11th October, ringed and transported to Belize, Central America, by courtesy of Royal Air Force and released in good health about 25th October, photo.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 80: 547; Conlin & Williams, 2017, photo).

14). 1989 Isles of Scilly Castle Down then Borough Farm, Tresco, juvenile, 16th to 22nd September, photo.

(Birding World 2 (9): 303, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 83: 470, plates 257, 258 & 268; Birding World 6 (8): 308, photo; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 91; British Birds 117: plates 11 & 12).

15). 1998 Isles of Scilly Lower Town, St Agnes, adult male, 9th to 13th September, dead 14th September, photo.

(W. H. Wagstaff, Birding World 11 (9): 338-340, photos; Birding World 11 (12): 459, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 92: 585, plate 246; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 91; British Birds 101: plate 230).

16). 1998 Isles of Scilly Borough Farm, St Mary's, female or first-winter, 12th to 20th September, photo.

(W. H. Wagstaff, Birding World 11 (9): 338-340, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 92: 585; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 91).

17). 1999 Isles of Scilly Coastguards and Browarth, St Agnes, 22nd September.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 93: 345, 541).

18). 1999 Isles of Scilly Fraggle Rock, Bryher, juvenile, 23rd to 30th October.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 93: 345, 541).

19). 1999 Ceredigion Mwnt, juvenile, dead, 28th October, photo, specimen now at National Museum of Wales, Cardiff (NMW.Z.2001.082.001).

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 582).

20). 2008 Isles of Scilly Porthloo Lane, St Mary's, male, found dead, 6th October, photo, now at Natural History Museum, Tring (NHMUK 2012.1.1).

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 102: 566).

21). 2008 Cornwall Church Cove, The Lizard, 7th October, photo.

(Birding World 21 (10): 406, photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 102: 565, plate 371).

22). 2010 Co. Durham Warren House Gill, Horden, juvenile male, 11th October, photo.

(Birding World 23 (10): 421, photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 104: 591; Bowey & Newsome, 2012: photo).

23). 2019 Argyll Loch Laich, Portnacroish, 1CY+, 11th September.

(A. Cooper, Scottish Birds 40: 185; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 113: 594).

24). 2019 Greater London Bushy Park, 2CY+, male, 19th October, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 113: 594, plate 344; British Birds 117: plates 17 & 18).

25). 2020 Sussex Church Norton, 1CY+, 8th October, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 577; British Birds 117: plate 19).

26). 2020 Kent Burham Marshes, Maidstone, 1CY+, 6th November, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 577).

27). 2022 Oxfordshire Wantage, 1CY+, female, 26th September, photo.

(British Birds 115: plate 478; L. Bacon, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 116: 557; British Birds 117: plates 20 & 21).

P). 2024 Isles of Scilly Longstone, St Mary’s, 20th October.

(birding information services).