Pennant-winged Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk
Caprimulgus vexillarius compared with Chordeiles acutipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Pennant-winged Nightjar | Lesser Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus vexillarius | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.4 cm (16.3 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 189.70000000000002 g (6.69 oz) | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) |
| Diet | Crepuscular forager targeting moths, termites, and large beetles; patrols forest edges and clearings at dusk. | 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
Pennant-winged Nightjar only
Lesser Nighthawk only
Song & Call Comparison
Pennant-winged Nightjar
Melodic whistled churring; cleaner, more musical than most African nightjars; male's display call a repeated mellow whistle; calls at dusk across miombo woodland
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
Pennant-winged Nightjar
Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea east to Ethiopia and south to Angola. Resident in dry savanna, open woodland, and Sahel scrubland.
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
Pennant-winged Nightjar
Lesser Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Pennant-winged Nightjar
Large; dark brown and black upperparts with white wing-covert spots; large white primary patches visible in flight; breeding males grow extraordinary white pennant-shaped ninth primary extensions reaching 50 cm; females …
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
Pennant-winged Nightjar
A spectacular nightjar (24-28 cm) of southern African open woodlands. Breeding males develop extraordinary elongated innermost primary feathers trailing as white pennants up to 60 cm long during courtship display flights. Nocturnal insectivore; a long-distance intra-African 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.