Lesser Nighthawk vs Pygmy Nightjar

Chordeiles acutipennis verglichen mit Nyctipolus hirundinaceus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Lesser Nighthawk Pygmy Nightjar
Wissenschaftlicher Name Chordeiles acutipennis Nyctipolus hirundinaceus
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge — —
Flügelspannweite 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 24,8 cm (9.8 in)
Gewicht 50,0 g (1.76 oz) 29,0 g (1.02 oz)
Ernährung Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … Hawks small flying insects at night over Brazilian scrub (caatinga) and open forest.
Gelegegröße 1-2 1
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

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Lesser Nighthawk only

Pygmy Nightjar only

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Song & Call Comparison

Lesser Nighthawk

Gesang

Loud purring trill; buzzy 'brrrrr' given in flight; lower and softer than Common Nighthawk; males display with booming wingbeats; calls at dusk over deserts

Pygmy Nightjar

Gesang

High, thin churring trill; rapid 'chi-chi-chi' series; tiny for a nightjar; high-pitched reedy quality; calls from caatinga scrub at dusk; contact a thin 'tsip'

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.

Pygmy Nightjar

Endemic to northeastern Brazil (Bahia, Pernambuco, Piauí); resident of caatinga scrub and dry woodland; very restricted range.

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Lesser Nighthawk

Least Concern

Pygmy Nightjar

How to Tell Them Apart

Lesser Nighthawk

Gefieder

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 …

Pygmy Nightjar

Gefieder

Tiny; brown and buff mottled above with rufous tones; pale buff below with brown barring; white throat patch in male; buff throat in female; no white wing markings; small white …

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.

Pygmy Nightjar

One of the smallest Caprimulgidae nightjars (~29 g), endemic to the caatinga and cerrado of eastern Brazil. Extremely tiny; pale buff and dark cryptic plumage. Roosts on sandy or stony ground. Named for its swift, swallow-like flight. Feeds on tiny insects at dusk. Least Concern in its open dry-land habitats.

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