Do Birds Fly at Night?

Truly nocturnal species of birds that fly, hunt, forage and raise their young during the night hours are rare. These are limited to owls, nighthawks, night-herons, frogmouths, kiwis and kakapos. Many other species of birds are diurnal, flying only during the day for most of the year, and then change to a night flying pattern during migration periods. Flying at night during migration protects birds from predators.