While most birders prefer bird watching early in the morning when most birds are up feeding, there are many species that favor dusk or nightfall. This list will walk you through the most common birds in the United States that are active at dusk, including early evening birds.

There are five night bird families you’ll see on the list:

• Caprimulgidae, a.k.a. Nightjars - a mix of nocturnal birds and crepuscular birds (meaning the birds are active at dusk and/or twilight).

• Strigidae, a.k.a True Owls or Typical Owls - nocturnal birds of prey characterized by large heads, forward-facing eyes, and rotating necks.

• Ardeidae - wading, crepuscular and nocturnal birds of prey that often hunt by standing motionless or slowly stalking prey.

• Turdidae - small to medium-sized, soft-plumaged birds, often part of the morning chorus or amongst the birds singing at dusk.

• Mimidae - crepuscular songbirds with an exceptional ability to mimic a wide variety of other bird songs and environmental sounds.

1. Common Nighthawk

• Family - Caprimulgidae, a.k.a. Nightjars
• Species - Chordeiles minor
• Primary Activity Time - Dusk and Dawn
• Crepuscular

The Common Nighthawk belongs to a popular family of birds that fly at night known as Nightjars.

Nightjars are masters of camouflage and are primarily active at dawn and dusk, aka crepuscular, as they hunt flying insects. Being mostly insectivores, you don’t need to worry about small pets or livestock being targeted by them or many of the birds that fly at night.

The common nighthawk is recognizable by the bold white bar or "blaze" near the tip of its long, pointed wings. It’s a crepuscular bird known for its erratic flight while catching insects at dusk, often making a distinctive, buzzy call.

They are fairly widespread across the contiguous U.S. during the summer, and are often seen high in the air at dusk and are part of the night bird sounds you hear. You can create an inviting habitat by avoiding insecticides that deplete their insect prey.

2. Barred Owl

• Family - Strigidae
• Species - Strix varia
• Primary Activity Time - Dusk and Night
• Nocturnal, often Crepuscular

While many owls are strictly nocturnal birds, some are frequently crepuscular while still being nocturnal birds of prey. The barred owl is one of the most vocal owls. It often starts its calls at dusk with a characteristic call that sounds like, "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"

This nocturnal bird of prey has dark brown or black eyes and a mix of vertical brown streaks on its belly and horizontal bars on its chest. The Barred Owl is a remarkably silent flier among the birds that fly at night whose hoots and whos are some of the most iconic evening bird sounds, along with the Great Horned Owl.

Their diet consists of a variety of small mammals, fish, and amphibians. You can’t put food out for them but you can attract them by installing an owl nesting box in a dense, mature tree near a water source.

3. Eastern Whip-poor-will

• Family - Caprimulgidae, a.k.a. Nightjars
• Species - Antrostomus vociferus
• Primary Activity Time - Dusk and Night
• Nocturnal (Crepuscular start)

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a nocturnal bird famous for its loud, onomatopoeic call that begins at twilight in eastern woodlands.

Eastern Whip-poor-wills are heard through dusk and the night especially on moonlit evenings. They are heavily camouflaged birds with a very large mouth and a white or buff patch on the outer corners of the tail which is more prominent in males.

Their diet is mostly large night-flying insects like moths and beetles. You can’t attract them with food but you can encourage their presence by leaving natural forest edges and open undergrowth untouched on the edges of your property to attract their prey.

You can pick them out of the other nocturnal bird sounds by their chipper call that sounds like a ringtone.

4. Great Horned Owl

• Family - Strigidae
• Species - Bubo virginianus
• Primary Activity Time - Night (Active at Dusk)
• Nocturnal

The Great Horned Owl is one of the largest and most common owls across North America whose deep hooting often signifies the beginning of the evening.

The great horned owl gets its name from its feather "ear" tufts that look like horns. They have bright yellow eyes and a contrasting white patch of feathers on its throat like a bib. It’s not uncommon for them to hang out around bodies of fresh water like lakes or ponds.

In fact, as a kid my family had a house on the lake where a horned owl stole a relative’s freshly caught fish. The next morning, during our sleepover, a looming shadow fell across the sheer glass of the bedroom's sliding door. Convinced it was the very same owl, we huddled in terror, certain the bird had broken into the house and was holding us hostage. We stayed perfectly still for what felt like hours, too afraid to open the door, until my aunt finally checked on us revealing it was just a shadow.

Their diet is incredibly varied and includes any creature they can overpower from cats and dogs, rabbits, and birds of all kinds. You can create an inviting habitat by keeping large, dense trees for them to nest or try an owl nesting box– just be sure to keep small animals inside.

The Great Horned Owl’s nocturnal song begins as it establishes territory and begins to hunt near dusk and into the night.

5. Eastern Screech-Owl

• Family - Strigidae
• Species - (Megascops asio):
• Primary Activity Time - Dusk and Night
• Nocturnal, Crepuscular start

A small, common owl primarily found in woodlands and suburban areas throughout the eastern U.S is another nocturnal bird of prey. It’s a highly camouflaged owl that has short ear tufts and comes in two color variations– a common gray morph and a less common rust-red morph.

An Eastern Screech-owl’s diet varies from small mammals, like mice and voles, to large insects, crayfish, and small birds. This is another bird you can encourage by having a nesting box in your yard.

The Eastern Screech Owl joins the evening chorus of birds at dusk with trills and whinnies more distinct than its other owl family members. Its nocturnal bird sounds are more like whistling than the stereotypical hoots of owls. It's another silent flier like most owls, which sets it apart from other birds that fly at night.

6. Chuck-will's-widow

• Family - Caprimulgidae, a.k.a. Nightjars
• Species - Antrostomus carolinensis
• Primary Activity Time - Dusk and Night
• Nocturnal, Crepuscular start

The Chuck-will’s-widow is the largest of the nightjars appearing as a long, flat-headed, warm-brown bird that often shows a small white or buff throat patch up close.

They primarily eat large, night-flying insects like beetles, moths, and dragonflies, but they occasionally prey on small birds and bats. This nocturnal bird of prey has even been seen swallowing whole song birds.

Did you know that chuck-will’s-widow sometimes eats stones or pebbles? It’s likely to help them digest the harder parts of their diet.

This nightjar is recognized by its four-note call which begins in the early evening. Its call sounds like it's saying, "chuck-will's-widow. Consider adding a bat hotel to your yard if you’re keen to attract them. Keeping open deciduous or mixed woodlands with clearings nearby for foraging will also help!

7. Common Poorwill

• Family - Caprimulgidae, a.k.a. Nightjars
• Species - Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
• Primary Activity Time - Dusk and Night
• Nocturnal, Crepuscular start

The Common Poorwill is western U.S. nightjar known for being the only bird in North America known to enter a state or torpor, or hibernate, to conserve energy (though this is regional).

This is the smallest of the nightjars identified by its pale gray coloration and the lack of a white wing patch, which distinguishes it from nighthawks.

This nocturnal bird predominantly eats insects like moths, beetles, and grasshoppers, which they often snatch from the ground or in short flights. You cannot attract them with food, but their habitat preference means they favor rocky, sparsely vegetated, and open woodland areas.

They are often heard giving their "poor-will" call at dusk during the evening chorus.

8. Black-crowned Night-Heron

• Family - Ardeidae
• Species - Nycticorax nycticorax
• Primary Activity Time - Dusk and Night
• Nocturnal

The Black-Crowned Night-Heron is a stocky heron species found near wetlands and water sources across much of the U.S. This wading bird leaves their daytime roosts to hunt at dusk, often letting out a deep, frog-like quawk.

The night-heron is much smaller than the Great Blue Heron and lacks the craning neck. It’s got short-legs and a jet-black cap that contrasts sharply with its white underparts and red eyes.

Its diet consists of fish, small mammals, and other aquatic prey. They’re attracted to yards with large, natural water features like ponds or marshes with surrounding cover. This nocturnal bird of prey is better spotted in its natural habitat rather than adding features to your yard to attract it but you’re more than welcome to try!

You can tell its call apart from the other evening bird sounds by its short, crow-like yopp.

9. American Robin

• Family - Turdidae
• Species - Turdus migratorius
• Primary Activity Time - Day and Dusk
• Diurnal (Crepuscular singer)

Although mostly diurnal, the American Robin is often among the last songbirds to be heard during the dusk chorus and one of the first to sing at dawn. You’ve likely seen this familiar songbird with a dark head, gray back, and unmistakable rust-red or rust-orange chest and breast.

The American Robin is the official state bird of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Connecticut. Of the birds that sing at dusk, the Robin is notable for its melodic twittering that resembles the phrase, “cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily.”

The robin’s diet is an omnivorous mix of earthworms and insects (especially in summer) and fruits and berries (especially in winter). You can attract them by putting out a ground feeding tray with mealworms, chopped fruit, and suet crumbles.

10. Northern Mockingbird

• Family - Mimidae
• Species - Mimus polyglottos
• Primary Activity Time - Day but Sings at Night
• Diurnal (Nocturnal singer)

The Northern Mockingbird is known to sing well into the night, particularly during the breeding season and in well-lit urban areas. The males sing their bird songs late at night especially during breeding season and in areas with artificial light, like cities. They’re the ones you likely hear in the middle of the night! Of all the night bird sounds, the Northern Mocking bird’s song afloat a still sleepy city is a familiar sign to me that spring is here– especially with the windows cracked on a warm spring evening in Boston.

It’s a gray-brown bird whose wings– an ombre of black, gray, and white– stand out against a white chest and belly. These diurnal birds are omnivores whose diet is about half insects like grasshoppers and caterpillars in the summer and half fruits and berries in winter.

You can attract them by planting fruiting shrubs, like elderberry or holly, and offering a suet feeder or a platform feeder with chopped fruit similar to how you can attract the American Robin.

There are many suet options out there but this is a good option with some variety in flavors.