Bird Guide

Antillean Nighthawk vs Lesser Nighthawk

Antillean Nighthawk (Chordeiles gundlachii)

Antillean Nighthawk

Chordeiles gundlachii

Small50 gShrubland

The adults are dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upperparts and breast; the long wings are black and show a white bar in flight. The tail is dark with white barring; the underparts are white with black bars. The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat. The most distinguishing characteristic to determine its identity from its closest relative the common nighthawk are the contrasting pale tertials near the back of the wings of a sitting bird. There are two color morphs, a gray and a rufous type. Voice: The call is a short pikadik usually heard overhead. The common nighthawk occasionally will make a similar call, but it is not as consistent. In the Dominican Republic, the bird is called querebebé; in Puerto Rico, the bird is called querequequé. Both are onomatopoeic terms which originate in Taíno.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Alex Doyle · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)

Lesser Nighthawk

Chordeiles acutipennis

Small48 gShrubland

The lesser nighthawk is known for its large mouth and small feet. Its natural brown and gray colors blend into its surroundings, making it hard to spot in the daytime while it sleeps. This long-winged and long-tailed species exhibits slight differences between the male and female. Male lesser nighthawks have a prominent white bar at the end of their tails and wing tips while females have a more cream color bar on their wing tips and lack the stripe on their tail. Both males and females feature a white v-shaped mark on their neck. Voice: The lesser nighthawk is very similar to its relative, the common nighthawk, though it tends to be a much quieter bird. The bird usually maintains a quiet demeanor, and it is quite rare to encounter its distinctive whines or trilling calls outside of its breeding grounds. Its toadlike trills can be sung in sequences lasting 7–13 seconds and can extend to over 3 minutes.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Lesser Nighthawk
Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz · Song · El Hatillo (near Caracas), Libertador, Capital District, Venezuela · CC0
Photo: Salomão Janderson Ferreira Bispo · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Antillean Nighthawk and Lesser Nighthawk.