Play the Nest Game

Nest: Nighthawks do not construct a nest. They lay their eggs on the ground, often in places where there's gravel and sparse vegetation (often on graveled roofs of city buildings!)

Nest: In tree, vine, shrub as high as 20 ft. above ground, avg. 4-10 feet. Thick bushes overgrown with wild grape favored. Small, shallow, frail platform of sticks, vines, twigs, rootlets; thinly lined with bits of moss, grass, pine needles, catkins. Very little depression to contain eggs. Outside diameter about 5 inches, depth about 1 1/2 inches.

Nest: Dense colonies (up to several hundred nests); burrows dug by both sexes, using feet and bill, at rate of about 5 inches per day. Birds kick earth out of tunnel as they dig in vertical side of bank, generally near top. Straws, grass stalks gathered by both sexes and placed in nest cavity after burrow complete; feathers addded after incubation under way.