Common nighthawk vs Lesser nighthawk
The common nighthawk is heavier: 79.3 g against 48.4 g for the lesser nighthawk, about 64% more.
Photo: Gavin Keefe Schaefer · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jerry Oldenettel · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a common nighthawk and a lesser nighthawk?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The common nighthawk is heavier: 79.3 g against 48.4 g for the lesser nighthawk, about 64% more.
- Both belong to the genus Chordeiles, so they are close relatives.
- Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Side by side
| Common nighthawk | Lesser nighthawk | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Chordeiles minor | Chordeiles acutipennis |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Weight | 60 g – 79.3 g | 47 g – 49.9 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 9 years | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | grassland | shrubland |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: Common nighthawkFull record: Lesser nighthawkCompare other animals