Chordeiles acutipennis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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.
Birds of the order Caprimulgiformes resemble owls and are primarily nocturnal insectivores. This group often has reduced feet, large mouths, and a camouflage coloring to blend in with their environment. The family Caprimulgidae, also known as nightjars, consists of over 70 insectivorous birds which are commonly classified by their long pointed wings. Their habitat and distribution is very broad range. Lesser nighthawks belong to the Chordeiles genus which contains 6 other species of nighthawk such as the common nighthawk, Antillean nighthawk, and sand-coloured nighthawk. The classification of nightjars are constantly being changed and renewed in attempt to group species with their closest relation.
Seven subspecies are recognised. Their breeding ranges are as follows. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 6 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 10 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Nighthawk sighting in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 140th most-seen of the 182 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Nighthawk in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in March to January, the lowest months. That is one of Ostional Wildlife Refuge's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 560 mm in October.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Nighthawk sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
18th of 43
Of the 43 parks where we can rate Lesser Nighthawk sightings, Ostional Wildlife Refuge ranks 18th at under 5%. The best odds are in Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%), Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 10%) and Carara National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Nighthawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Ostional Wildlife Refuge (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
