Lesser Nighthawk
Lesser NighthawkLesser NighthawkLesser NighthawkLesser Nighthawk

Lesser Nighthawk

Chordeiles acutipennis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
2,020 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
4,871 Verified sightings across all 66 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Lesser Nighthawk

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. C. a. texensis Lawrence, 1857 – southwest USA to central Mexico C. a. littoralis... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Common Nighthawk
LC

Common Nighthawk

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Chordeiles minor

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Common Poorwill
LC

Common Poorwill

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Phalaenoptilus nuttallii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Mexican Whip-poor-will
LC

Mexican Whip-poor-will

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Antrostomus arizonae

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
2 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
4 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
5 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
6 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
7 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
8 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
9 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
10 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
11 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
12 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
13 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
14 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
15 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
16 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
17 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
18 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
19 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
<5%
21 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
22 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
25 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
26 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
27 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
28 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
29 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
31 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
32 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
33 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
34 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
35 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
36 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
37 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
38 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
39 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
40 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
41 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
43 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
44 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
45 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
46 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
47 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
48 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
49 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
50 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
51 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
52 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
53 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
54 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
55 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
56 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
57 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
58 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
59 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
60 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
61 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
62 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
63 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
64 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
65 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
66 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Nighthawk in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Nighthawk sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 2,020 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Lesser Nighthawk in Saguaro National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Nighthawk in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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