Salvadori's Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Caprimulgus pulchellus compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Salvadori's Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus pulchellus | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.8 cm (12.1 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 57.5 g (2.03 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | -- | 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
Shared Habitats
None
Lesser Nighthawk only
Song & Call Comparison
Salvadori's Nightjar
Churring trill; repetitive 'chrrr' from Sumatran highland forest; calls at night from mossy forest understory; moderate pitch; similar to but separable from Bornean species
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
Salvadori's Nightjar
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
Salvadori's Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Salvadori's Nightjar
Attractively patterned dark brown and buff upperparts; warm buff supercilium and throat patch; rufous-buff spotting on wing coverts; underparts barred buff; montane Sundaland endemic with relatively rich coloration.
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
Salvadori's Nightjar
A medium-sized nightjar (24-26 cm) endemic to montane forests of Sumatra and Java, Indonesia. Dark brown plumage with rufous collar patches. Nocturnal insectivore of high-altitude forests above 1,000 m. Classified as Vulnerable due to habitat loss in montane regions.
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.