Lesser Nighthawk vs Swallow-tailed Nightjar
Chordeiles acutipennis compared with Uropsalis segmentata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Nighthawk | Swallow-tailed Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles acutipennis | Uropsalis segmentata |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 32.6 cm (12.8 in) |
| Weight | 50.0 g (1.76 oz) | 42.25000000000001 g (1.49 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles over Andean montane forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Lesser Nighthawk only
Swallow-tailed 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
Swallow-tailed Nightjar
High, thin churring whistle; reedy 'tsee-tsee' series; calls from Andean forest understory; males conspicuous in display flight; female call softer and shorter
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.
Swallow-tailed Nightjar
Resident of Andean forest edge and open slopes from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia, at 1,500–3,500 m.
Conservation Status
Lesser Nighthawk
Swallow-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 …
Swallow-tailed Nightjar
Male dark brown with buff and rufous mottling; extraordinarily forked tail with outer feathers extending to 18 cm beyond inner; white throat patch. Female brown and buff mottled without elongated …
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.
Swallow-tailed Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~42 g) of Andean montane forest edges and paramo from Colombia to Bolivia. Males possess a deeply forked swallow-like tail exceeding body length. Inhabits forest clearings and shrubby paramo. Feeds on moths and beetles at dusk. Least Concern in its montane Andean habitat.