Lesser Nighthawk vs White-tailed Nightjar
Chordeiles acutipennis compared with Hydropsalis cayennensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Nighthawk | White-tailed Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles acutipennis | Hydropsalis cayennensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 27.3 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) | 35.75 g (1.26 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths, beetles, and flying insects at night over South American open and … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Lesser Nighthawk only
White-tailed Nightjar only
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
White-tailed Nightjar
Rapid, whirring trill; 'churrrr' repeated with nasal quality; calls from open savanna and grassland at dusk; alarm a sharp bark; males display low over ground
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.
White-tailed Nightjar
Resident of open savanna and forest edge from Costa Rica through Colombia and Venezuela to the Guianas and northern Brazil; also Caribbean islands.
Conservation Status
Lesser Nighthawk
White-tailed Nightjar
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 …
White-tailed Nightjar
Male brown and grey mottled; white outer tail feathers diagnostic; white throat; small white wing spots; female has buff outer tail feathers and lacks white wing spots; scrubby savanna habitats.
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.
White-tailed Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~36 g) of open grassland, coastal savanna, and dry scrub from Panama through northern South America to Trinidad. Males show conspicuous white outer tail feathers. Roosts on bare ground or low branches by day. Feeds on insects at dusk. Adaptable to lightly degraded habitat; Least Concern.