Date: Fri 30-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

schools-Nighthawk-Brody

Full Text:

Heads Up For The Nighthawk

Newtown High School students now have the opportunity to witness their new

mascot in the coming weeks in the skies over Newtown.

According to local resident Polly Brody, a field ornithologist, the migrating

nighthawk is currently flying over eastern New England on its way down south

for the winter.

As the bird expert points out, the nighthawk is not a member of the hawk

family, but rather the wipporwill family.

The nighthawk, with a racy look to its wings, is said to have much the same

shape as a swallow, only double the size. Ms Brody said each of the bird's

wings has a window or stripe.

The agile, semi-nocturnal bird is known to eat insects, and though it is

commonly called a goat-sucker, Ms Brody said the nighthawk has never been seen

sucking any goats.