Lesser Nighthawk vs Greater Band-winged Nightjar
Chordeiles acutipennis compared with Systellura longirostris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Nighthawk | Greater Band-winged Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles acutipennis | Systellura longirostris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 31.0 cm (12.2 in) |
| Weight | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) | 45.666666666666664 g (1.61 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and flying insects at night over South American open and scrubby … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Lesser Nighthawk only
Greater 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
Greater Band-winged Nightjar
Repeated 'tyuk-tyuk' or 'chuck-will'; whistled, melodic phrase; calls from Andean slopes and scrub; alarm a sharp bark; cleaner tone than lowland nightjars
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.
Greater Band-winged Nightjar
Resident of open rocky slopes and Andean scrub from Ecuador south through Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina to Patagonia and the Falkland Islands.
Conservation Status
Lesser Nighthawk
Greater 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 …
Greater Band-winged Nightjar
Brown and grey mottled with dark brown and buff vermiculations; white wing bar across primaries forming band pattern in flight; white throat in male; buff throat in female; white outer …
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.
Greater Band-winged Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~46 g) of open scrub, grassland, and rocky slopes from Argentina northward through the Andes to Colombia. Brown-and-buff cryptic plumage with a pale wing bar. Highly vocal at night in Andean valleys. Feeds on insects aerially. Least Concern across its wide South American range.