Lesser Nighthawk vs Ladder-tailed Nightjar
Chordeiles acutipennis compared with Hydropsalis climacocerca
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Nighthawk | Ladder-tailed Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles acutipennis | Hydropsalis climacocerca |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 29.9 cm (11.8 in) |
| Weight | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) | 48.0 g (1.69 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; hawks insects over Amazonian river margins and forest clearings. |
| 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
Ladder-tailed Nightjar
Resonant churring trill over Amazonian rivers; 'churr-churr' with hollow quality; calls from riverside sandbars and beaches at dusk; distinctive riverside habitat singer
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.
Ladder-tailed Nightjar
Resident of sandy riverbanks, open woodland, and savanna in the Amazon basin from Colombia and Peru south to Bolivia and central Brazil.
Conservation Status
Lesser Nighthawk
Ladder-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 …
Ladder-tailed Nightjar
Male brown and buff mottled above; white throat; graduated tail with white ladder pattern on inner webs of outer rectrices diagnostic; white wing patches. Female has buff throat; tail barred …
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.
Ladder-tailed Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~48 g) of rivers, oxbow lakes, and riverine forest edges throughout the Amazon Basin. Males possess white-banded, step-like outer tail feathers giving a ladder appearance. Roosts on branches and sandy banks near water. Feeds on insects at night. Least Concern.