Rufous-bellied Nighthawk vs Short-tailed Nighthawk

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

Lurocalis rufiventris

Medium87 gForest

The rufous-bellied nighthawk is 23 to 25 cm (9.1 to 9.8 in) long. Its uppersides and wings are dark brown with rufous and buff spots and speckles. The tail is brown with tawny or grayish brown bars and a pale tip. The chin is dark brown, the throat white, the breast dark brown, and the belly and flanks tawny buff. Voice: The rufous-bellied nighthawk's song, "a rapidly delivered series of notes that gradually descend in pitch, e.g., kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-ko", is given both in flight and while perched. It has other vocalizations, "a muffled pow, a series of muffled rising coos, and a low growl".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rob Foster · CC BY 4.0

Short-tailed Nighthawk

Lurocalis semitorquatus

Medium76 gForest

The short-tailed nighthawk is 19 to 21 cm (7.5 to 8.3 in) long. One L. s. semitorquatusfemale weighed 79 g (2.8 oz) and several L. s. nattereri males weighed 82 to 89 g (2.9 to 3.1 oz). This is a rather large nightjar with an unusually short tail. Its upperparts are dark brown to blackish with rufous and buff spots and speckles. The wings are also dark brown with muted spots of several colors, an unlike most other nighthawks, do not have bold white markings. The tail is brown with tawny or grayish bars and a narrow buffy or whitish band at the end.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Brett/Tele · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Rufous-bellied Nighthawk and Short-tailed Nighthawk.