Mobbing of Common Nighthawks as Cases of Mistaken Identity

摘要

We report five instances of small birds mobbing Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor). In each case, the nighthawk was roosting in a tree during daytime and was mobbed by a group of birds in a manner typical of that directed toward an avian predator. We found only four previously published accounts of perched caprimulgiforms being mobbed. Mobbing birds probably mistake caprimulgiforms for owls because of convergence in plumage coloration and pattern between these two groups of crepuscular-nocturnal birds.