Lesser Nighthawk vs Least Poorwill

Chordeiles acutipennis verglichen mit Siphonorhis brewsteri

Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Lesser Nighthawk Least Poorwill
Wissenschaftlicher Name Chordeiles acutipennis Siphonorhis brewsteri
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Near Threatened
Länge — —
Flügelspannweite 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 22,7 cm (8.9 in)
Gewicht 50,0 g (1.76 oz) 44,0 g (1.55 oz)
Ernährung Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches small flying insects near ground over Hispaniolan dry scrub.
Gelegegröße 1-2 2
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

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Lesser Nighthawk only

Least Poorwill only

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

Least Poorwill

Gesang

Soft, melodic 'poor-will' whistle; gentle and repetitive; calls from dry scrub at night; higher-pitched than Common Poorwill; subtle and often overlooked

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.

Least Poorwill

Endemic to Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic); resident of open dry forest and scrub; rare and sparsely distributed.

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Lesser Nighthawk

Near Threatened

Least Poorwill

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 …

Least Poorwill

Gefieder

Small; brown and buff mottled with fine dark vermiculations; pale buff throat bordered by dark lateral spots; buff and dark barred tail; no white in wings or tail; male with …

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.

Least Poorwill

A small Caprimulgidae poorwill (~44 g) of dry scrub and thorn woodland in Hispaniola. Brown-and-buff cryptic plumage. Little studied; biology poorly known for this island endemic. Feeds on insects at night. Near Threatened owing to ongoing habitat degradation and deforestation on Hispaniola. Rarely encountered.

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