Lesser Nighthawk vs Common Poorwill
Chordeiles acutipennis comparado con Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Lesser Nighthawk | Common Poorwill |
|---|---|---|
| Nombre científico | Chordeiles acutipennis | Phalaenoptilus nuttallii |
| Orden | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familia | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Estado de conservación | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longitud | — | — |
| Envergadura | 33,0 cm (13.0 in) | 28,8 cm (11.3 in) |
| Peso | 50,0 g (1.76 oz) | 46,45 g (1.64 oz) |
| Dieta | Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … | Catches moths, beetles, and flying insects on short sallies near ground; only bird known to … |
| Tamaño de la puesta | 1-2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Hábitats compartidos
Lesser Nighthawk only
Common Poorwill 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
Common Poorwill
Clear, whistled 'poor-WILL' with burry quality; sometimes 'poor-will-ip'; carries well across desert scrub; may call thousands of times in a night; males very persistent
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.
Common Poorwill
Resident of arid scrub, sagebrush, and chaparral in western North America from British Columbia south to central Mexico; only hibernating bird.
Estado de conservación
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Poorwill
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 …
Common Poorwill
Grey-brown and buff mottled with dark vermiculations; white throat patch bordered by dark collar; pale buff and dark barred underparts; white tips on outer tail feathers; no white wing patches; …
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.
Common Poorwill
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~46 g) of arid shrubland and rocky desert from southwestern Canada to central Mexico. The only bird known to enter true torpor for extended periods (weeks) as a winter survival strategy. Cryptic grey-brown plumage. Feeds on moths and beetles at night. Least Concern.