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Wild About Illinois Birds
Nightjars, Swifts and Hummingbirds
Family and Species Gallery
Order Caprimulgiformes - These birds have a wide mouth surrounded by bristles. The bill, feet nad legs are small. Eggs are usually laid on the ground. The order includes the oilbird, frogmouths, potoos, owlet frogmouths, goatsuckers and nightjars.
Family Caprimulgidae (Nightjars) - The goatsuckers or nightjars include the nighthawk, whip-poor-will and Chuck-will's widow. Generally active at night, they spend the day resting on a limb or on the ground. The bill is tiny, but the mouth is large.
common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
Chuck-will’s-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) [state threatened]
eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus)
Order Apodiformes - The swifts, crested swifts and hummingbirds have tiny feet on short legs. The bill is either long and thin or small and weak.
Family Apodidae (Swifts) - The swifts may appear to be swallows, but they are structurally different. Swifts have all four toes pointing forward (with one reversible) and a flat skull. The flight of these birds is rapid flapping followed by gliding. The chimney swift is a member of this group.
chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica)
Family Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) - Hummingbirds are the smallest birds. They have a long, thin bill and pointed wings.
ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)