Puerto Rican Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Antrostomus noctitherus compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Puerto Rican Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus noctitherus | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.5 cm (10.4 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 35.99 g (1.27 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | Catches large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Puerto Rican dry limestone forest; endangered. | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Sharp 'took' or 'took-WHEEER'; distinctive two-note call; calls from dry coastal forest of Puerto Rico; endangered; calls less frequently than mainland relatives
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
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Endemic to Puerto Rico; critically endangered resident of karst limestone scrub and dry forest in the southwestern part of the island.
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
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Small; grey-brown and buff mottled above with dark vermiculations; white gorget in male; pale buff barred underparts; white outer tail spots in male; buff tail in female; critically small range …
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
Puerto Rican Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~36 g) endemic to the dry limestone coastal scrub of southwestern Puerto Rico. Cryptically patterned grey-brown. Restricted to a tiny area of suitable habitat; population estimated at a few hundred pairs. Feeds on insects at night. Vulnerable from habitat conversion and introduced predators.
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.