Wildlife Around Las Vegas, Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)

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Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)
Birds Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas

	General Description: Lesser Nighthawks (Chordeiles acutipennis) are medium-sized, mottled gray birds of the night. The wings are long, narrow, and pointed, with a white bar across the wing. The white bar is out towards the tip of the wing (in Common Nighthawks, the white wing bar is closer to the wrist). Lesser Nighthawks are also more brown than Common Nighthawks. Males have a white throat patch. Lesser Nighthawk make a rapid trilling call, which is quite different from the "peent" call of Common Nighthawks. Poorwills also fly at night, but their wings are all brown, and the call is "poor-will." Taxonomy: Caprimulgiformes, Caprimulgidae, Chordeilinae.
	Favored Habitat: Open desert. Where to Find: Out in the desert. Nighthawks fly at dusk, usually quite close to the ground (below shrub level). Comments: Lesser Nighthawks usually sleep during the day on the ground.
	Male Lesser Nighthawk in flight. Note the white throat patch.
	Lesser Nighthawk in flight.
	Flying low in the shrubs, this Lesser Nighthawk is trying to evade me, but flying very low in the shrubs is also how the hunt.
	Lesser Nighthawk flying in evening light.
	Lesser Nighthawk flying in evening light.
	Lesser Nighthawk
	Lesser Nighthawk
	Lesser Nighthawks roost by day on the ground, usually among rocks or under bushes where they blend in with the background.
	Here, a Lesser Nighthawk is roosting in a can dump where it blends in well with the rusting cans and broken glass.
	Lesser Nighthawk is roosting in a can dump.
	If you were a flying insect, you'd better hope you never see this face!