While the Common Poorwill is, in fact, common throughout much of the American West, they are more often heard than seen. Even if you have seen them, most likely all you’ve seen is their erratic flight as they rise from a dirt or gravel road in the headlights. Like the other nightjars, they feed on nocturnal insects. They often perch in very low vegetation, on rocks, or on the ground and then make short sallies, often returning to the same perch. They eject pellets of the indigestible parts, much