Tawny-collared Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Antrostomus salvini compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Tawny-collared Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus salvini | 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 | 56.0 g (1.98 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks moths and beetles at night over Central American forest and forest edge. | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Tawny-collared Nightjar only
Lesser Nighthawk only
Song & Call Comparison
Tawny-collared Nightjar
Loud 'WHEEP' or 'weet' repeated at intervals; sharp, whistled call; carries through Mexican highland forest; higher-pitched than Chuck-will's-widow; distinctive sharp quality
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
Tawny-collared Nightjar
Resident of tropical dry forest and scrub in eastern Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco) and northern Central America.
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
Tawny-collared Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Tawny-collared Nightjar
Brown and buff mottled above; distinctive tawny-buff collar encircling hindneck diagnostic; white gorget in male; pale buff underparts with dark barring; white outer tail spots in male; Mexican dry forests.
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
Tawny-collared Nightjar
A medium-small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~56 g) of humid foothill and montane forest edges in northeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. Named for its tawny hindneck collar. Brown-mottled plumage; males have white tail corners. Roosts on the ground; feeds nocturnally on 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.