Least Nighthawk vs Archbold's Nightjar
Chordeiles pusillus compared with Eurostopodus archboldi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Least Nighthawk | Archbold's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles pusillus | Eurostopodus archboldi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 29.733333333333334 g (1.05 oz) | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) |
| Diet | Catches small flying insects in aerial pursuit over South American scrub and open areas; crepuscular. | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Least Nighthawk
High-pitched, buzzy trill; thin 'pee-pee-pee' series; soft churring from ground; tiny size matched by high, reedy call quality; rarely loud
Archbold's Nightjar
Rarely recorded; presumed churring nocturnal song; low, resonant trilling typical of genus; vocalizations scarcely documented from highland New Guinea
Geographic Range & Migration
Least Nighthawk
Resident of open savanna and cerrado in interior South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia and central Brazil.
Archbold's Nightjar
Resident of montane forest in central New Guinea (Snow Mountains and Star Mountains) above 1,500 m; very poorly known.
Conservation Status
Least Nighthawk
Archbold's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Least Nighthawk
Smallest Chordeiles; brown and buff mottled above; pale buff underparts with dark barring; small white throat patch in male; narrow white wing bar; white or buff tail spots. Female has …
Archbold's Nightjar
Brown and dark grey with rufous-buff vermiculations; whitish throat patch; pale buff supercilium contrasts with darker crown; no white wing or tail patches; tail barred; New Guinea highlands; few records.
About These Birds
Least Nighthawk
The smallest Chordeiles nighthawk (~30 g), family Caprimulgidae, inhabiting open cerrado, caatinga, and rocky savanna in eastern and central South America. Very small with brown and buff cryptic plumage; white tail band in males. Hunts small insects aerially at dusk. Least Concern in open lowland habitats.
Archbold's Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~77 g) known from subalpine grasslands and forest margins in the interior mountains of New Guinea. Named after naturalist Richard Archbold. Cryptic brown-patterned plumage. Nocturnal insectivore. Infrequently observed; biology largely undescribed. Least Concern in its montane range.