The ABA bird of the year for 2013 is the Common Nighthawk (you can read more about the choicehere). So this summer, keep your ears tuned in the early morning and evenings! If you hear their distinctive buzzingpeent! call, you may just be hearing a nighthawk. Look up and you may just see them flying in graceful loops above you. I’m hoping this year to capture some more presentable photos of this wonderful species.
Interestingly, you may hear these birds referred to by an older, but very odd name–goatsucker. Yea, that’s right. The name comes from the misinformed belief that nighthawks suck goat’s milk. Weird. I’m glad we don’t have to call these birds by that name anymore. But, if you would like to have some fun, you can actually “prove” to your friends that chupacabras (the Spanish word for “goatsucker”) exist! But instead of a legendary, blood-sucking, menacing creature, it’s a bird that also sports a much cooler (and more appropriate) name.
Scott Simmons
Scott Simmons, based in Florida, is a lover of nature, landscape, and wildlife photography. Scott became interested in photography in 2001 when he was given his first SLR camera. When he acquired a telephoto lens, he became progressively more interested in birds and other wildlife. Scott enjoys learning about bird habitats and behavior, striving always to take images that are both beautiful and interpretive. Scott believes photography is a great vehicle to help others to appreciate the wonder for the stuff of earth.
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