Lesser Nighthawk vs Sand-colored Nighthawk
Chordeiles acutipennis compared with Chordeiles rupestris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Nighthawk | Sand-colored Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles acutipennis | Chordeiles rupestris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 32.9 cm (13.0 in) |
| Weight | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) | 52.25 g (1.84 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Aerial insectivore; hawks insects over South American river sandbars and open areas, often in flocks. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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
Sand-colored Nighthawk
Nasal, buzzy 'bzeent' calls; short buzzing trills; colonial roosters produce chorus of soft chirring notes; calls from sandy riverbanks at dusk
Geographic Range & Migration
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.
Sand-colored Nighthawk
Resident of sandy riverbanks and open savanna in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil.
Conservation Status
Lesser Nighthawk
Sand-colored Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
Sand-colored Nighthawk
Pale sandy-buff overall with dark brown vermiculations; white throat and lower underparts; bold white wing bar; white tail with dark terminal band; paler coloration than other nighthawks suits sandy riverbank …
About These Birds
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.
Sand-colored Nighthawk
A small Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~52 g) of open sandy riverbanks and beaches along major Amazonian and Orinoco river systems. Pale sandy and white plumage provides near-perfect camouflage on bare sand. Roosts communally on sandbanks; feeds on insects at dawn and dusk. Least Concern; common along large rivers.