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Lesser Nighthawk
Chordeiles acutipennis
At a Glance
A denizen of the arid southwest, the Lesser Nighthawk flies low over deserts and grasslands at dusk, capturing insects in flight. Very similar to the more widespread Common Nighthawk, but it is a much quieter bird, without the sharp calls and 'booming' flight displays of its larger cousin. Only occasionally do we hear the odd whinnying and trilling calls of the Lesser.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Nightjars, Upland Ground Birds
Conservation
Low Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Desert and Arid Habitats, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
California, Florida, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas
Behavior
Erratic, Flap/Glide
Population
14.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Some northern breeders migrate as far as Colombia, others remain north to central Mexico. In southwestern U.S., lingers late in fall and returns early in spring; a few may spend the winter. May become torpid in cold weather.
Description
8-9" (20-23 cm). Very similar to Common Nighthawk, not always identifiable. Pale bar across wing is closer to wingtip on Lesser, and on female Lesser this bar is buff, not white. Lesser often flies closer to the ground, with smoother, less erratic wingbeats, and usually maintains an eerie silence.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Brown, Tan, White
Wing Shape
Long, Tapered
Tail Shape
Long, Notched
Songs and Calls
A soft, sustained, tremolo whirring; very difficult to locate.
Call Pattern
Flat, Undulating
Call Type
Odd, Trill
Habitat
Arid scrub, dry grassland, desert washes. Found in open arid habitats including desert, grassland, brushy country. Where it overlaps locally with the Common Nighthawk in the southwest, the Lesser is more common at lower elevations and in drier country.
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Behavior
Eggs
2. White to pale gray, finely dotted with gray, brown, and lavender. Incubation is mostly or entirely by female, about 18-19 days.
Young
Both parents feed young, by regurgitating insects. If approached, adults put on "broken wing" act to lure intruders away; in case of disturbance, young often move to new spot, able to crawl over ground with surprising speed. Age of young at first flight probably about 3 weeks.
Feeding Behavior
Forages most actively near dusk, also at night and sometimes by day. Forages mostly in flight, usually flying fairly low, scooping up flying insects in its wide mouth. Also may feed by sitting on the ground at night and fluttering up to catch insects as they pass. Will feed around bright lights at night, taking the insects attracted there.
Diet
Insects. Feeds mainly on flying insects, including beetles, moths, grasshoppers, and many others. Will feed heavily on swarms of winged ants or termites.
Nesting
In courtship, male flies about with stiff wingbeats, following female, his white throat puffed out conspicuously as he gives trilling calls. Nest site is on ground, sometimes in shade of small shrub but often in fully exposed open spot. Sometimes on roof of building. No nest built, eggs laid on bare dirt or gravel.
Climate Vulnerability
Conservation Status
Numbers in U.S. holding up fairly well.
Climate Threats Facing the Lesser Nighthawk
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.