Least Nighthawk
Chordeiles pusillus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCaprimulgiformes (Nightjars and Allies)
- FamilyCaprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies)
- GenusChordeiles (Typical Nighthawks)
- SpeciesChordeiles pusillus (Least Nighthawk)
About the Least Nighthawk
The least nighthawk (Chordeiles pusillus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. The least nighthawk was formally described in 1861 by the English ornithologist John Gould based on a specimen collected in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Gould coined the current binomial name Chordeiles pusillus. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "tiny" or "very small". Early in the 20th century the least nighthawk was assigned to its own genus, Nannochordeiles, but since the middle of the century has been included in Chordeiles.
Six subspecies are recognised: C. p. septentrionalis (Hellmayr, 1908) – east Colombia through Venezuela and the Guianas C. p. esmeraldae Zimmer, JT & Phelps, WH, 1947 – southeast Colombia, south Venezuela and northwest Brazil
C. p. xerophilus Dickerman, 1988 – Paraíba and Pernambuco (northeast Brazil) C. p. novaesi Dickerman, 1988 – Maranhão and Piauí (northeast Brazil) C. p. saturatus Pinto & Camargo, 1957 – east Bolivia and central west Brazil
C. p. pusillus Gould, 1861 – Tocantins, Bahia and Goiás (east Brazil) Two specimens from northeastern Argentina might... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Least Nighthawk in Serra da Canastra National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Serra da Canastra National Park
Lesser Nighthawk
Chordeiles acutipennis
Common Pauraque
Nyctidromus albicollis
Scissor-tailed Nightjar
Hydropsalis torquata
Band-winged Nightjar
Systellura longirostris
Sickle-winged Nightjar
Eleothreptus anomalus
Rufous Nightjar
Antrostomus rufus
Ocellated Poorwill
Nyctiphrynus ocellatus
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Lurocalis semitorquatus
Little Nightjar
Setopagis parvula
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Canaima National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 3 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Least Nighthawk in Serra da Canastra National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Least Nighthawk sighting in Serra da Canastra National Park, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Least Nighthawk in Serra da Canastra National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Least Nighthawk in Serra da Canastra National Park in our monthly data.