The NIGHT FALCON (_Chordeiles Virginianus_), a well-known member of this
group, is an inhabitant of North and South America. Its length is about
eight and a half, and its breadth from twenty to twenty-one inches;
the wing measures seven inches and two-thirds. The upper part of the
plumage is brownish black, spotted with white and pale brownish red.
The secondary quills are dotted with brownish white, and the first five
primaries have a broad stripe of white across their centre. The tail is
striped with brown and grey, its four exterior feathers being tipped
with white; the under side of the body is greyish white, marked with
undulating brown lines; the throat is surrounded by a broad white line.
The female resembles her mate, but the brown parts are darker, and the
whitish spots redder, than in the plumage of the male. Her tail has no
white spots at its extremity.
"The Night Falcons," says Audubon, "make their appearance in Louisiana
about the first of April, during their migrations eastward, but never
breed either in that State or in Mississippi. So rapid is their transit
through these parts of the country, that the flocks have entirely
disappeared within a few days of their arrival, whilst in the Southern
States, on the contrary, they are often to be met with from the fifteenth
of August till October. These wandering parties generally fly over the
towns and villages, and settle from time to time upon the trees or
houses, meanwhile uttering a harsh, shrill note, that cannot fail to
attract the attention of all who hear it. We have seen them in Maine
about June, and in the Central States somewhat earlier. These birds
penetrate northwards as far as New Brunswick, but are rarely or never met
with in Labrador or Newfoundland." The flight of the Night Falcons is
light, animated, and capable of being long sustained, it is accompanied
by loud, shrill cries, as the birds alternately soar above the summits of
lofty mountains, or, rapidly sinking, continue their course close to the
surface of the water. During such times as they are trying to attract the
attention of the female part of the community, their evolutions become
almost inconceivably fleet and agile; it is not uncommon to see one
of them, after describing a series of the most elegant gyrations, come
rushing down with such headlong velocity towards its intended partner,
that it seems to render its death inevitable; but when within a few yards
of the earth the bird dexterously spreads out its wings and tail, and
again rises into the air, in order to recommence its sportive manœuvres.
Audubon describes the spectacle of several males thus offering and
exhibiting their admiration as being most amusing, and tells us that no
sooner has the female made her choice, than the happy mate elect at once
begins to harry and drive his rivals from the field.
The food of the Night Falcons consists principally of various kinds
of small insects; they consume flies in enormous quantities, seeking
their prey during the day, and sleeping at night upon trees or houses,
from the tops of which their loud cries may be heard from time to time
during the night. The breeding season commences at the end of May; the
two eggs that form their brood have a grey shell, spotted with greenish
brown or violet-grey (see Fig. 2, Coloured Plate IV.), and are deposited
without any previous preparation upon the ground. The nestlings are at
first covered with dark brown down, and are tended with great affection
by their parents; the female especially exhibits unusual boldness and
cunning in protecting or concealing her family from danger. When the
young are strong enough to perch it is not uncommon for them to sit
motionless beside the father and mother for hours, remaining so perfectly
quiet and silent as to render it very difficult to discover their place
of concealment. Large numbers of these useful birds are shot out of
mere mischief. According to Audubon their flesh is excellent during the
autumn, at which season they become well-flavoured and fat.