Lesser Nighthawk vs Short-tailed Nighthawk
Chordeiles acutipennis compared with Lurocalis semitorquatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Nighthawk | Short-tailed Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles acutipennis | Lurocalis semitorquatus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) | 80.7 g (2.85 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Aerial insectivore; hawks large beetles and moths at night over South American forest canopy and … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Lesser Nighthawk 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
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Loud, frog-like 'wok' or 'bok' repeated at dusk; hollow resonant quality; calls from high canopy in flight; rapid series when excited; distinctive and far-carrying
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.
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Resident of lowland forest edge and open woodland from Mexico through Central America and tropical South America to Bolivia and Brazil.
Conservation Status
Lesser Nighthawk
Short-tailed 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 …
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Dark sooty-brown with buff and rufous spotting; rufous-spotted throat forms partial collar; short rounded tail barred dark brown and buff; lacks white wing bar; darker and more uniformly colored than …
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.
Short-tailed Nighthawk
A medium Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~81 g) of forest canopy edges and second growth across much of tropical South America and Central America. Dark brown plumage with a white throat patch. Flies swiftly above the canopy at dusk, catching insects. Rounded wings and very short tail are distinctive. Least Concern.