Rufous Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Antrostomus rufus compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus rufus | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 87.0 g (3.07 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches large moths and beetles in low aerial sallies over South American … | 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
Rufous Nightjar
Loud 'chuck-BURR's' or rapid rolling phrase; rich, melodic whistle; carries across South American forest; distinctive chucking intro note before main phrase
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
Rufous Nightjar
Resident of open woodland and scrub in tropical South America from Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad south through Brazil to Bolivia and Argentina.
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
Rufous Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous Nightjar
Strongly rufous-brown overall with dark brown vermiculations; buff throat patch; white inner tail webs on outer tail feathers in male; no white gorget; uniformly rufous tones diagnostic among South American …
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
Rufous Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~87 g) of tropical dry forest, scrubby woodland, and clearings in Central and South America. Rich rufous-brown plumage makes it one of the more distinctively coloured nightjars. Calls with a rolling 'chuck-will's-widow'-like phrase in Spanish-speaking regions. Feeds on large insects. Least Concern.
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.