Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
The conservation status of the Lesser Nighthawk is uncertain near the Pacific coast. From the Mexican border to the San Joaquin Valley, the bird is scarce. Most of its natural habitat has already been lost. (Lovio, 1998)
US Federal List: threatened
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
The Lesser Nighthawk does not have any negative influences on humans or the environment.
The Lesser Nighthawk helps to keep the insect population under control. These are a very rare bird to see, making them desirable for bird watchers to see and photograph. (Bent 1940; Harrison 1978)
The diet of the Lesser Nighthawk includes small insects such as winged ants, mosquitoes, beetles, moths, and grasshoppers. They catch these insects while flying high in the air, and near trees and brush along springs and streams. (Bent 1940; Harrison 1978)
Chordeiles acutipennis ranges in small numbers from parts of California and Nevada, to larger populations in southern New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.
(Sauer, 1997)
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
The Lesser Nighthawk prefers large open areas. They like relatively level topography and naturally open land, as opposed to disturbed open lands with weeds. They are ground nesters. They make their nest on vernal pool soils in large, open areas with low human and pet disturbances. (PRBO, 1965)
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune
The adult Lesser Nighthawk averages twenty centimeters in length. It has a short bill, and the upper parts of the body have a gray and white patterning. Its head and chest are brown, with white patterning. The underside of the bird has dark bars that run across its stomach. The wings are dark with conspicuous pale patches on the bend of the wing. The tail has thin white bars across the top. An adult male will have a white throat, while the female will have a buff throat and buff spots on inner parts of the wings.
(Robbins et al. 1966)
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Lesser Nighthawks breed from early spring to mid summer. The females lay two speckled eggs in a nest constructed on the ground or on a gravel rooftop. The mother will incubate the eggs for eighteen to twenty days. Once hatched, the mother brings food to the newborn nighthawks. Once able to fly, the young nighthawks leave the nest and their mother. (Sauer, 1997)
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
The San Lucas nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis), also referred to as the lesser nighthawk3, averages 20 cm to 23 cm (7 to 9 inches) in length its wing span is about 53 cm (21 inches)4. It has a short bill; the upper parts of the body have a gray and white patterning. Its head and chest are brown, with white patterning, and the underside of the bird has dark bars that run across its stomach1. The wings are dark with pale patches on the bend, and the tail has thin white layers at the top. An adult male will have a white stripe at the throat, while the female will have spots on inner parts of the wings and throat.
The native range for the San Lucas nighthawk ranges along the southwestern United States from California to Texas. From the Mexico border to the San Joaquin valley the bird is scarce1. The breeding ground for the San Lucas nighthawk extends from Baja California and through Mexico all the way to Central America. They prefer open land with primarily arid habitats. The lesser nighthawk prefers large open areas. They like relatively level topography and naturally open land, as opposed to disturbed open lands with weeds1.
The San Lucas nighthawk’s diet consists primarily of invertebrates (insects) and are most active at night and dawn/dusk. In the morning they forage in the air often catching insects low to the ground, while at night they forage around bright city lights; they may also feed on the open ground at night2. It is therefore expected to have a positive effect on the environment as it can help keep the insect population under control.
Mostly nocturnal, they nest far from human disturbance typically in May or June which is later than most lowland species. Males will use a series of calls to attract females1. Breeding from early spring to mid-summer, females lay two speckled eggs. The nest is constructed at ground level, often placing the eggs on open soil. The mother will incubate the eggs for eighteen to twenty days. There they sit quietly nesting with minimal movement to avoid detection. The parent not incubating the eggs will be the one to roost away from the nesting area. Delivering one brood annually, nestlings are semi-precocial and downy, are tended by both adults, and can fly in about 3 weeks2. Once hatched they are fed regurgitated food by both parents. Once they are able to fly, the young nighthawks leave the nest.
The San Lucas nighthawk prefers to be in open land with low human disturbances1. Much of its natural habitat has been lost due to urbanization and expansion of cities into rural land, causing bird communities that include the San Lucas nighthawk to shift toward assemblages dominated by fewer, more abundant and more typical ‘urban’ species5. The San Lucas nighthawk is scarce but the conservations status is uncertain.
The lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) is a nightjar found throughout a large part of the Americas.
The adults are dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upperparts and breast; the long upperwings are black and show a white bar in flight. The tail is dark with white barring; the underparts are buffy with fine black horizontal streaking. The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat. 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. The calls are also completely different. The lesser nighthawk has a rapid, low whistled melodious trill, lasting several seconds. It is usually heard only near breeding areas.
Their breeding habitat is open country from the Southwestern United States through Central America to tropical South America. They usually nest on bare ground, sometimes in raised locations including stumps and boulders or flat house roofs. The two eggs are laid directly on bare ground—there is no nest. Incubation is performed largely by the female and lasts for about 20 days. Young fledge at about 20 days of age.
Adults flushed from the nest may try to distract the intruder or defend the nest site by aerial attack. Young birds sometimes perform a defense display by opening up their mouths and spreading their wings, looking to appear threatening and larger than they actually are before they run off.
These birds are partial migrants. The lesser nighthawk retreats from the United States and northern Mexico during the winter months. Occasionally single birds may be found overwintering. The nighthawk is also occasionally found as a vagrant to the US Gulf Coast states to Florida.
They catch flying insects on the wing, mainly foraging near dawn and dusk (crepuscular), sometimes at night with a full moon or near street lighting.
The lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) is a nightjar found throughout a large part of the Americas.
The adults are dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upperparts and breast; the long upperwings are black and show a white bar in flight. The tail is dark with white barring; the underparts are buffy with fine black horizontal streaking. The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat. 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. The calls are also completely different. The lesser nighthawk has a rapid, low whistled melodious trill, lasting several seconds. It is usually heard only near breeding areas.
Their breeding habitat is open country from the Southwestern United States through Central America to tropical South America. They usually nest on bare ground, sometimes in raised locations including stumps and boulders or flat house roofs. The two eggs are laid directly on bare ground—there is no nest. Incubation is performed largely by the female and lasts for about 20 days. Young fledge at about 20 days of age.
Adults flushed from the nest may try to distract the intruder or defend the nest site by aerial attack. Young birds sometimes perform a defense display by opening up their mouths and spreading their wings, looking to appear threatening and larger than they actually are before they run off.
These birds are partial migrants. The lesser nighthawk retreats from the United States and northern Mexico during the winter months. Occasionally single birds may be found overwintering. The nighthawk is also occasionally found as a vagrant to the US Gulf Coast states to Florida.
They catch flying insects on the wing, mainly foraging near dawn and dusk (crepuscular), sometimes at night with a full moon or near street lighting.
