This is a bird out.

An evening baseball game isn't the only thing illuminated by the bright stadium lights.

High in the air, countless flying insects are drawn to them.

And those insects are a perfect snack for the game's avian attendees.

Common nighthocks swoop with their wide mouths open to hoover up the flying insects under the lights,

performing aerial stunts over the athletes on the ground.

Common nighthocks belong to the Nightjar family,

a group of birds with long wings and big mouths that are adept at hunting

in the air.

Night hawks have gray and brown feathers that help them blend in on the ground.

In the sky though, these birds stand out.

Vertical white wing stripes glow bright even at dusk and dawn

when they're most active.

To show off for potential mates, male night hawks use a display called booming.

They dive so that air makes a loud boom as it passes over their wings.

Hot dogs.

Hot dogs.

The next time you're enjoying your snacks at the game.

Just know that the birds are enjoying theirs too.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.

This episode is sponsored by 7-year-old Quinn Sedgley,

who wants everyone to help birds and wildlife.

...