Fiery-necked Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Caprimulgus pectoralis compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Fiery-necked Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus pectoralis | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 31.9 cm (12.6 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 52.083333333333336 g (1.84 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds at dusk and night on moths and large flying beetles caught in aerial sallies … | 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
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Rich, melodic 'good-lord-deliver-us'; beautiful flute-like whistled phrase; most musical of African nightjars; calls from savanna woodland at dusk; unmistakable song
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
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Found in East Africa from Ethiopia south to Tanzania on mountain ranges. Resident in montane moorland and forest edge at 1,500–4,000 m.
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
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Distinctive bold orange-rufous hindneck collar contrasting with dark brown crown; upperparts brown with black streaks and buff mottling; white throat patch; males show white outer tail spots; Africa's most recognisable …
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
Fiery-necked Nightjar
A medium-sized nightjar (23-25 cm) widespread across sub-Saharan African woodlands and savanna. Rich brown plumage with a bold rufous collar. Named for its extraordinary, unmistakable song: a prolonged, melodic good-lord-deliver-us call. Nocturnal insectivore; resident.
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.