Lesser Nighthawk

Chordeiles acutipennis

The lesser nighthawk 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.

A Lesser Nighthawk sleeping on the beach at South Padre Island. Photo shared on Wikipedia by Chuck Homler, Focus On Wildlife.
A Lesser Nighthawk sleeping on the beach at South Padre Island. Photo shared on Wikipedia by Chuck Homler, Focus On Wildlife.
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Community Sightings

Recent observations from the iNaturalist community

Lesser Nighthawk observed by nips_
May 13, 2026
Irvine Park Rd, Orange, CA, US
byMax Watkins
Research Grade
· 1 ID
Lesser Nighthawk observed by toastysn
May 12, 2026
Borrego Springs, CA, US
bytoastysn
Research Grade
· 2 IDs
Lesser Nighthawk observed by grahamlf
May 11, 2026
E Placita Sin Lucha, Tucson, AZ, US
byGraham F.
Research Grade
· 1 ID
Lesser Nighthawk observed by h85266_saguaros
May 11, 2026
Pinnacle Peak, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
byh85266_saguaros
Research Grade
· 1 ID
View all 4,591 observations on iNaturalist
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