Lesser Nighthawk vs Pygmy Nightjar

Chordeiles acutipennis مقارنةً بـ Nyctipolus hirundinaceus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Lesser Nighthawk Pygmy Nightjar
الاسم العلمي Chordeiles acutipennis Nyctipolus hirundinaceus
الرتبة Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
الفصيلة Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 24,8 cm (9.8 in)
الوزن 50,0 g (1.76 oz) 29,0 g (1.02 oz)
النظام الغذائي Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … Hawks small flying insects at night over Brazilian scrub (caatinga) and open forest.
عدد البيض في الوضع 1-2 1
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

بلا

Lesser Nighthawk only

Pygmy Nightjar only

بلا

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Song & Call Comparison

Lesser Nighthawk

الغناء

Loud purring trill; buzzy 'brrrrr' given in flight; lower and softer than Common Nighthawk; males display with booming wingbeats; calls at dusk over deserts

Pygmy Nightjar

الغناء

High, thin churring trill; rapid 'chi-chi-chi' series; tiny for a nightjar; high-pitched reedy quality; calls from caatinga scrub at dusk; contact a thin 'tsip'

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Geographic Range & Migration

Lesser Nighthawk

Breeds in open arid scrub from southwestern USA south through Central America to western South America; winters in Mexico and northern South America.

Pygmy Nightjar

Endemic to northeastern Brazil (Bahia, Pernambuco, Piauí); resident of caatinga scrub and dry woodland; very restricted range.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Lesser Nighthawk

Least Concern

Pygmy Nightjar

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How to Tell Them Apart

Lesser Nighthawk

الريش

Brown and buff mottled above; buff-white below with brown barring; white throat in male; white wing bar closer to wingtip than in Common Nighthawk; buff tail band. Female with buff …

Pygmy Nightjar

الريش

Tiny; brown and buff mottled above with rufous tones; pale buff below with brown barring; white throat patch in male; buff throat in female; no white wing markings; small white …

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About These Birds

Lesser Nighthawk

A small Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~50 g) of deserts, semi-arid scrub, and open woodland from the southwestern United States to Peru and Brazil. Brown-and-buff patterned; males have a white throat bar. Low, buoyant flight close to the ground at dusk. Hunts insects aerially. Migratory; Least Concern.

Pygmy Nightjar

One of the smallest Caprimulgidae nightjars (~29 g), endemic to the caatinga and cerrado of eastern Brazil. Extremely tiny; pale buff and dark cryptic plumage. Roosts on sandy or stony ground. Named for its swift, swallow-like flight. Feeds on tiny insects at dusk. Least Concern in its open dry-land habitats.

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