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Lesser Nighthawk

Chordeiles acutipennis

- the southwestern relative of the better known Common Nighthawk

- catches insects in flight, mostly at night but sometimess seen flying in daylight

- nests on the ground or sometimes flat rooftops (note chick visible in ground photos)

- cryptic plumage makes them very difficult to see when nesting as in these photos

- sits lengthwise on branches, rather than crosswise as with most birds

- these photos taken at the Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix, AZ