Lesser Nighthawk vs Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Chordeiles acutipennis compared with Systellura decussata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Nighthawk | Lesser Band-winged Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles acutipennis | Systellura decussata |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 26.6 cm (10.5 in) |
| Weight | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) | 31.833333333333332 g (1.12 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Hawks flying insects at night over Andean and coastal scrub of Peru and northern Chile. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Lesser Nighthawk only
Lesser Band-winged 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
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Soft 'tyuk' phrases; lighter and higher than Greater Band-winged; gentle churring trill; calls from Pacific coastal scrub at dusk; thin, reedy alarm note
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.
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Resident of desert scrub, rocky hillsides, and coastal pampas in Peru and northern Chile; closely associated with arid Pacific slope.
Conservation Status
Lesser Nighthawk
Lesser Band-winged 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 …
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Smaller than Greater Band-winged; brown and buff mottled with dark vermiculations; white wing bar across primaries; white throat in male; buff throat in female; white outer tail spots in male; …
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.
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
A very small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~32 g) of coastal desert scrub and rocky slopes in Peru and northern Chile. Pale-buffy with fine vermiculations and a paler wing band. Restricted to very arid Pacific-slope habitats. Nocturnal; feeds on small insects. Little studied; Least Concern in its specialised desert range.