The Mosquito-Eating Bird You Should Attract To Keep The Pests Out Of Your Yard

While there is wildlife you would be happy to spot in your backyard, no one is happy to see mosquitoes. With mosquito season starting earlier and earlier, fighting these pests can seem like an uphill battle. Before you reach for pesticides, consider defeating mosquitoes with something natural — the food chain. Mosquitoes are annoying to humans, but to certain birds, they are a delicacy. And if you can attract mosquito-eating birds to your yard, look out for one that is super effective at snapping up flying insects — the common nighthawk.

Known as Chordeiles minor, the common nighthawk is neither nocturnal nor a hawk, despite its name. Instead, it is a member of the nightjar family that likes to hunt at dawn and dusk, using its wide, bristle-lined mouth to scoop bugs up as they fly. Many species of mosquito are most active at dusk, which is perfect timing for nighthawks to hunt them down. These birds are adept at maneuvering through the air, and their erratic flight pattern is as recognizable as it is effective for pursuing prey. 

If you want to confirm that your feathered visitors are common nighthawks, you can usually recognize them by the white stripe two-thirds of the way to the tip of their angular wings. You are unlikely to see one during the day though. That is when these well-camouflaged birds roost, but they will sometimes forage during the day if the weather is overcast.

To attract common nighthawks, it is important to leave their food source intact. Since the majority of a nighthawk's diet is flying insects, your typical bird feeder will not be enough to attract them. The best thing you can do is skip the pesticides that keep bugs away chemically. Once there is a tasty amount of mosquitoes around, nighthawks will be attracted to feast in your yard and will keep bugs away naturally. Widespread use of pesticides is one of the main causes of declining nighthawk populations, so by not using them, you are doing the species a favor. You can also help them nest comfortably. Nighthawks like to nest on gravel rooftops, so if your home has a flat roof, you can create a nesting area with a 15-foot square patch of gravel in a spot that gets afternoon shade.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to specifically attract nighthawks to your yard, but you can still create a space that is attractive to them and other mosquito-eating birds like orioles, hummingbirds, downy woodpeckers, and Eastern bluebirds. While you may be more likely to attract birds to your garden in general by planting native plants, keeping outdoor lights off at night, and providing a birdbath, there is one way to entice a nighthawk. By leaving a light on that mosquitoes will swarm around, you can be on the lookout for nighthawks diving through the swarm to get their dinner.