Lesser Nighthawk vs Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

Chordeiles acutipennis comparé à Lurocalis rufiventris

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Lesser Nighthawk Rufous-bellied Nighthawk
Nom scientifique Chordeiles acutipennis Lurocalis rufiventris
Ordre Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Famille Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 40,6 cm (16.0 in)
Poids 50,0 g (1.76 oz) 104,5 g (3.69 oz)
Régime alimentaire Hawks small flying insects at dusk and dawn over North and South American arid scrub … Catches large flying insects in nocturnal aerial pursuit over Andean forest and forest edge.
Taille de la couvée 1-2 1
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Aucun(e)

Lesser Nighthawk only

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk only

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Song & Call Comparison

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

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

Chant

Deep, hollow 'wok-wok' series; resonant frog-like calls from Andean forest canopy; lower in pitch than Short-tailed Nighthawk; carries across mountain valleys

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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.

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

Resident of Andean foothills and montane forest edge from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia, at 500–2,000 m.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Lesser Nighthawk

Least Concern

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

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How to Tell Them Apart

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 …

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

Plumage

Dark sooty-brown above with buff and chestnut spotting; distinctive rufous-orange belly contrasting with dark breast; no white wing bar; short rounded tail; rufous tone on underparts unique among nighthawks.

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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.

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

A medium Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~105 g) of montane forest edges and humid foothill zones from Colombia to Bolivia. Rufous underparts contrast with dark upperparts; a white throat patch is visible. Hawk-like flight above the forest at dusk and dawn. Seldom recorded; biology little known. Least Concern.

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