Yucatan Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Antrostomus badius compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Yucatan Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus badius | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.6 cm (12.8 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 58.03333333333333 g (2.05 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and flying insects over Yucatan dry forest and scrub. | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Yucatan Nightjar
Whistled 'WEEP-weep' phrase; clear, melodic call from Yucatan dry forest; repeated steadily at night; lower than Tawny-collared; alarm a sharp bark note
Lesser Nighthawk
Loud purring trill; buzzy 'brrrrr' given in flight; lower and softer than Common Nighthawk; males display with booming wingbeats; calls at dusk over deserts
Geographic Range & Migration
Yucatan Nightjar
Resident of lowland tropical forest and scrub in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize, and northern Guatemala.
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.
Conservation Status
Yucatan Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Yucatan Nightjar
Brown and grey mottled above with buff vermiculations; lacks tawny collar of Tawny-collared Nightjar; white gorget in male; pale buff below; white outer tail spots in male; buff tail in …
Lesser Nighthawk
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 …
About These Birds
Yucatan Nightjar
A medium-small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~58 g) restricted to the Yucatan Peninsula, northern Guatemala, and northern Belize. Inhabits dry deciduous and semi-evergreen forest. Brown-and-buff cryptic plumage. Calls with a repetitive whip-like phrase at night. Feeds on moths and beetles. Least Concern; limited but stable range.
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.