Common poorwill

[ PHALAENOPTILUS NUTTALLII ]

Called holchko, or “sleeping one,” by the Hopi, poorwills have the startling ability to cut their oxygen use by 97% and survive through the winter on

just 10 grams of stored fat. Though known to the Hopi, it wasn’t until 1946

that renowned desert naturalist Edmund C. Jaeger discovered one of these

towhee-sized birds hibernating in a rock cavity in the mountains east of Los Angeles. Although their body temperature may dip to 41 degrees, poorwills can rouse themselves on warmer days and still fly -- at a lower body temperature than any other bird -- from their winter hide-outs to grab a quick snack.

NATURAL HISTORY

Most of the year, poorwills awake at dusk to hunt flying moths and beetles. Essentially a large mouth with wings, this 7-inch-long bird can consume 1.5-inch-long insects in a single gulp.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Cryptically colored and rarely found during their daytime slumber, poorwills are best known for haunting poorwill calls that waft mysteriously through the night.