CreatureData

Lesser nighthawk

Chordeiles acutipennis (Hermann, 1783)

LCLeast Concernbirds

The lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) is a species in the family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes. Recorded adults weigh 47 g to 49.9 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)
Photo: Jerry Oldenettel · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the lesser nighthawk

Weight
47 g – 49.9 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Invertivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
shrublandsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
18.5 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
1.4 – 1.75src for Young per litter or clutch
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Aerialsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Partialsrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the lesser nighthawk live?

Not recorded

What is the lesser nighthawk?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) is a nightjar found throughout a large part of the Americas. This bird looks similar to the common nighthawk but is slightly smaller, has a slightly less deeply forked tail, and is more buffy in coloration. Their distinctive mouths are very well adapted for capturing insects mid-flight.

From the Wikipedia article “Lesser nighthawk” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lesser_nighthawk&oldid=1363842334), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the lesser nighthawk endangered?

The lesser nighthawk is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the lesser nighthawk classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderCaprimulgiformes
  5. familyCaprimulgidae
  6. genusChordeiles
  7. SpeciesChordeiles acutipennis (Hermann, 1783)

Synonyms Caprimulgus acutipennis, Caprimulgus sapiti, Chordeiles sapiti

Other names and names in other languages (42)
  • Trilling nighthawkEnglish
  • enganyapastors de doble collarCatalan
  • lelek menšíCzech
  • cudylldroellwr bachWelsh
  • Gråvinget NathøgDanish
  • TexasnachtschwalbeGerman
  • Texas-NachtschwalbeGerman
  • minora kaprimulgoEsperanto
  • Añapero MenorSpanish
  • Añapero Ala CortaSpanish
  • Añapero enanoSpanish
  • Añapero garrapenaSpanish
  • Chotacabras menorSpanish
  • Chotacabras norteñoSpanish
  • Gallina ciega peruanaSpanish
  • välja-videvikusorrEstonian
  • harmaahaukkakehrääjäFinnish
  • Engoulevent minimeFrench
  • sivokrili leganjCroatian
  • kis estifecskeHungarian
  • Succiacapre minoreItalian
  • コアメリカヨタカJapanese
  • mažasis sutemų lėlysLithuanian
  • mazais lēlisLatvian
  • TexasnachtzwaluwDutch
  • trillenatthaukNorwegian
  • Tapa Camina MenorPapiamento
  • Tapa Kaminda MenorPapiamento
  • lelczyk ostroskrzydłyPolish
  • noitibó-d'asa-finaPortuguese
  • bacurau-de-asa-finaPortuguese
  • Малый сумеречникRussian
  • Малый сумеречный козодойRussian
  • Южный малый козодойRussian
  • súmračník ostrokrídlySlovak
  • teksaški ležetrudnikSlovenian
  • Mali američki leganjSerbian
  • mindre falknattskärraSwedish
  • Çorak GecedoğanıTurkish
  • анаперо малийUkrainian
  • 小灰眉夜鹰Chinese
  • 小美洲夜鷹Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the lesser nighthawk

Other species in the same genus Chordeiles.

LC, Least Concern

Least nighthawk

Chordeiles pusillus

CaprimulgidaeNo free photo yet

CompareLesser nighthawk vs Common nighthawkLesser nighthawk vs Nacunda nighthawkLesser nighthawk vs Sand-coloured nighthawkLesser nighthawk vs Antillean nighthawk

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the lesser nighthawk?

An adult lesser nighthawk weighs 47 g – 49.9 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the lesser nighthawk endangered?

The lesser nighthawk is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the lesser nighthawk?

The lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) belongs to the family Caprimulgidae in the order Caprimulgiformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/lesser-nighthawk

MLA

“Lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/lesser-nighthawk.

BibTeX
@misc{lesser_nighthawk_2026,
  title = {Lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/lesser-nighthawk},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}