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Survey Results 2007-2009 (scroll down for 2008 &2009)

2007

This project was initiated in 2007. Results from annual surveys will be presented on this web site and as downloadable reports when they become available.

We introduced the Nightjar Survey Network to 10 states in the Southeastern U.S. in 2007. Volunteers adopted 90 routes for surveys and data for 59 routes were submitted at the time this report was generated. Volunteers counted a total of 215 Whip-poor-wills, 591 Chuck-will’s Widows, and 65 Common Nighthawks during the surveys. Nightjars were detected at 53 of 59 routes surveyed (90 % of total). Chuck-wills-widows were the most frequently detected species per route followed by Whip-poor-wills and then by Common Nighthawks. The number of birds detected per route ranged from 0-40 for Chuck-will’s Widows, 0-18 for Whip-poor-wills, and 0-14 for Common Nighthawks.

Survey data provide initial signals on how to improve future monitoring efforts. Understanding survey performance is important to determining correction factors needed to reduce systematic bias and random error of survey efforts.

We gratefully thank all participants that adopted routes or conducted surveys. This program's success relies entirely on volunteer participation.

Table of 2007, first year results, by state and overall survey network.

To download copy of 2007 report click here.

2008 Survey Results

The Nightjar Survey Network was expanded in 2008 to cover 37 states.

From 2007-2008, volunteers have collected data on 351 routes and counted 1,335 chuck-will’s-widows, 623 whip-poor-wills, 199 common nighthawks, 93 common poorwills, 31 lesser nighthawks, and 16 common pauraques.

2008 Results. Mean (SD) and range calculated only for routes where that species was detected. States with no values for a species indicate none were detected.

2009 Survey Results

Volunteers from across the country set out again after the sun went down to assist in the third year of the United States Nightjar Survey. The summer effort of 2009 resulted in the night survey of 249 routes that recorded 348 common nighthawks, 708 chuck-will’s-widows, 392 whip-poor-wills, 168 common poorwills, 128 lesser nighthawks, and 1 common paraque.

We continue to see program participation grow with nearly 400 volunteers adopting routes for the 2009 season. In addition, we added Pennsylvania routes into the program for the first year. Perhaps the only unfortunate event of this past season was that bad weather prevented a large number of volunteers from being able to conduct their routes. The number of rainy and overcast nights in May and June 2009 set weather records for many regions of the United States.

2009 Results. Mean (SD) and range calculated only for routes where that species was detected. States with no values for a species indicate none were detected.