BirdWeb: Birds Connect Seattle's Guide to the Birds of Washington State
Bird of the Week
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Listen for the call of the Common Nighthawk during a summer's evening in eastern Washington. You may be lucky enough to hear the booming sound of the male's display flight, the sound of air rushing over his wings at the bottom of a steep dive. These aerial insect-eaters are not birds of prey - they are in the goatsucker family with Whip-poor-wills and our own Common Poorwill.
Birding Site of the Week
Forks
Pacific Northwest Coast
The town of Forks is a great access point to the old-growth temperate forests on the west slope of the Olympics. Resident bird species include Ruffed and Sooty Grouse, Northern Goshawk, five woodpeckers, Hutton's Vireo, Varied Thrush, and Red Crossbill. Black Oystercatchers, Tufted Puffins, and Common Murres breed on the rocky coastline.