Lesser Nighthawk vs Scrub Nightjar
Chordeiles acutipennis compared with Nyctidromus anthonyi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Nighthawk | Scrub Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles acutipennis | Nyctidromus anthonyi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 24.8 cm (9.8 in) |
| Weight | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) | 36.2 g (1.28 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Catches flying insects in nocturnal aerial sallies over arid scrub of Ecuador and Peru. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Lesser Nighthawk only
Scrub 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
Scrub Nightjar
Whistled churring phrases; melodic 'pweer-pweer' series; similar to Pauraque but drier and less rich; calls from scrubby desert at night; contact a soft 'chuck'
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.
Scrub Nightjar
Resident of arid scrub, dry woodland, and coastal zones in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru.
Conservation Status
Lesser Nighthawk
Scrub 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 …
Scrub Nightjar
Pale sandy-brown with fine dark brown vermiculations; white throat patch; white outer tail feathers in male; no white wing bar; smaller and paler overall than Pauraque; buff outer tail in …
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.
Scrub Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~36 g) of arid coastal scrub and thorn-scrub in southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Pale sandy-buff and brown plumage suits its xeric habitat. Closely related to the Pauraque but smaller and paler. Nocturnal insectivore; calls at dusk. Least Concern in its limited range.