Egyptian Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Caprimulgus aegyptius compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Egyptian Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus aegyptius | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 40.2 cm (15.8 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | Night-active insect hawker taking moths, beetles, and flying termites during sallies over tropical forest clearings. | 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
Egyptian Nightjar
Soft, repetitive 'qurr-qurr'; purring trill from desert scrub; quieter than most Caprimulgus; calls carry across open sandy terrain at night; alarm a low 'croak'
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
Egyptian Nightjar
Breeds in North Africa and the Middle East east to Pakistan. Migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Found in sandy desert and semi-arid terrain.
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
Egyptian Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Egyptian Nightjar
Pale sandy-buff overall with fine dark brown speckles and streaks; whitish throat patch; wings show ochre spotting on coverts; one of the palest nightjars, adapted to arid desert habitats.
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
Egyptian Nightjar
A pale, sandy-colored nightjar (25 cm) well adapted to arid habitats. Cryptic desert plumage provides excellent camouflage on open sandy ground. Nocturnal insectivore feeding on beetles and moths. Found from the Sahara across the Middle East to Central Asia. A long-distance migrant.
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.