Chirruping Nightjar vs Lesser Nighthawk

Caprimulgus griseatus comparé à Chordeiles acutipennis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Chirruping Nightjar Lesser Nighthawk
Nom scientifique Caprimulgus griseatus Chordeiles acutipennis
Ordre Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Famille Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae
Statut de conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 33,0 cm (13.0 in)
Poids 50,0 g (1.76 oz)
Régime alimentaire Night-hunting insectivore taking moths, flying beetles, and termites in sustained aerial pursuits. Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub …
Taille de la couvée -- 1-2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Aucun(e)

Chirruping Nightjar only

Lesser Nighthawk only

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Song & Call Comparison

Chirruping Nightjar

Chant

Distinctive chirruping trill; rapid high-pitched 'chi-chi-chi-rrr'; sharper and more staccato than typical Caprimulgus; calls at dusk from open habitats

Lesser Nighthawk

Chant

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

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Geographic Range & Migration

Chirruping Nightjar

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Somalia and south to South Africa. Common on rocky outcrops and granite hills in savanna.

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.

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Statut de conservation

Not Evaluated

Chirruping Nightjar

Least Concern

Lesser Nighthawk

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How to Tell Them Apart

Chirruping Nightjar

Plumage

Grey-brown upperparts with blackish streaks and pale buff vermiculations; buff-white chin and throat; underparts barred pale buff and dark brown; recently split from Savanna Nightjar, differing in subtle plumage and …

Lesser Nighthawk

Plumage

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 …

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About These Birds

Chirruping Nightjar

A small nightjar (20-22 cm) of dry scrub and semi-arid savanna in Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana. Pale grey-brown plumage with fine streaking. Named for its chirruping, insect-like call delivered at dusk. Nocturnal insectivore, feeding on moths and beetles.

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.

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