'common nighthawk' definitions:

Definition of 'common nighthawk'

From: GCIDE
  • Caprimulgidae \Caprimulgidae\ n. [L. capris goat + mulgere to milk.] a widely distributed natural family of nocturnally active birds including the whip-poor-will ({Caprimulgus vociferus}), the chuck-will's-widow ({Caprimulgus carolinensis}), and the common nighthawk ({Chordeiles minor}); -- called popularly the goatsuckers or nightjars. The nighthawks are sometimes active during the day.
  • Syn: goatsuckers, nightjars, family Caprimulgidae. [PJC]
  • The family . . . is alternately known as the nightjars (derived from the "churring" sounds of several species -- "jarring" the night air), or goatsuckers, a nonsense name that should be discontinued as it has its origin in the preposterous myth that the birds sucked the milk of nanny goats until they were dry. --Terence Michael Short (Wild Birds of the Americas)