Common Poorwill

A member of the nightjar family, the Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) is a nocturnal bird. From southern Alberta and British Columbia through the western United States and northern Mexico, it can be found. The bird prefers stony desert slopes with little flora as well as dry, open habitats with grasses or bushes. While some stay further north, the majority of northern birds winter within their breeding range in central and western Mexico. This is the only bird known to enter prolonged torpor is the common poorwill (weeks to months).

The Common Poorwill is the only known bird species to hibernate. It picks a spot under shallow rocks or rotten logs and stays there for up to five months. Its daily energy needs drop by 93% and it can stay asleep for 100 days. Once hibernation is over, it needs seven hours to get back to its normal temperature.