Least Nighthawk

Overview

The least nighthawk, Chordeiles pusillus, is a species of nightjar and one of the smallest members of its family. It is native to north and eastern South America and is currently assessed as a species of Least Concern.

Identification

• 15 to 25 cm in length with brown upperparts featuring gray, rufous, and buff spots.
• Whitish or buff underparts marked with brown bars and a narrow white throat patch.
• Highly visible white bands on the four outermost primaries when in flight.
• Flight described as buoyant, quick, and erratic with sudden shifts in direction.

Habitat

Found in open savanna and subtropical grasslands, including both cerrado and caatinga habitats. The range extends from sea level up to approximately 1,000 m across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Diet

An aerial insectivore that feeds on insects from various orders. It forages near the ground at dawn and late in dusk, hunting solitarily, in pairs, or in small loose groups.

Did you know?

This bird lays a single egg directly on the ground, with little else known about its breeding phenology.