Least Poorwill
Siphonorhis brewsteri
The Least Poorwill (Siphonorhis brewsteri) is a legendary nightjars and nighthawk found only in the Dominican Republic, weighing about 51 g. The least poorwill or least pauraque is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae, and the only confirmed extant species of its genus.
About the Least Poorwill
The least poorwill or least pauraque is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae, and the only confirmed extant species of its genus. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The least poorwill is 17 to 21.5 cm (6.7 to 8.5 in) long. The nominate subspecies' upperparts are grayish brown with blackish streaks and the folded wing shows bold white spots. It has a wide buff collar on the hindneck. The breast is dark brown with white spots and the belly white with brown bars and vermiculation. All but the central tail feathers have narrow pale tips, white in the male and buff in the female. S. b. gonavensis is thought to be smaller and paler overall. Voice: The male least poorwill's song is "a whistled 'toorrrrri' rising in pitch, or a warbled 'tworrri'." The species also makes "short, whistled 'toorric' or 'to-ic'" calls and "dove-like scratchy sounds".
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Least Poorwill?
- The least poorwill is 17 to 21.5 cm (6.7 to 8.5 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Least Poorwill?
- The Least Poorwill is a small sized bird weighing about 51 g.
- Where can you see a Least Poorwill?
- The Least Poorwill is endemic to the Dominican Republic, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Least Poorwill?
- The Least Poorwill is most easily confused with the Donaldson Smith's Nightjar, the Collared Nightjar and the Sombre Nightjar.
- Is the Least Poorwill endangered?
- The Least Poorwill is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Least Poorwill for real
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