Red-necked Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Caprimulgus ruficollis compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-necked Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus ruficollis | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 86.33333333333333 g (3.05 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at night over Iberian and North African scrub … | 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
Red-necked Nightjar
Loud, resonant 'cut-CHER-cut' or 'cotcorotcot'; far-carrying hollow knocking; churring trill between phrases; calls from scrubby Mediterranean habitats at night
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
Red-necked Nightjar
Breeds on the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, and northwestern Algeria; long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan West Africa from Senegal to Guinea.
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
Red-necked Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Red-necked Nightjar
Large nightjar; grey-brown mottled above; rufous-orange hindneck collar diagnostic; white throat patch in male; white spots on wing coverts and outer tail in male; buff equivalents in female.
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
Red-necked Nightjar
A large Caprimulgidae nightjar (~86 g) breeding in open pine forest and scrub of Iberia and northwestern Africa, wintering in sub-Saharan West Africa. A rufous collar is distinctive among Palearctic nightjars. Calls with a loud rhythmic 'kutuk-kutuk' at night. Feeds on large moths. Near Threatened from habitat loss.
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.