Least Nighthawk vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Chordeiles pusillus compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Least Nighthawk | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles pusillus | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 29.733333333333334 g (1.05 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Catches small flying insects in aerial pursuit over South American scrub and open areas; crepuscular. | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| 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
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
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.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Least Nighthawk
Heinrich'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 …
Heinrich's Nightjar
Rufous-brown and dark brown mottled with buff vermiculations; large pale buff throat patch; pale buff supercilium; no white wing markings; tail darkly barred brown and buff. Poorly known; Sulawesi endemic.
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.
Heinrich's Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~104 g) endemic to the forest and forest-edge habitats of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Cryptically patterned brown-and-buff. Nocturnal insectivore; catches moths and beetles in aerial sallies. Little studied and rarely encountered in the field. Least Concern within its Sulawesi range.