The Lesser Nighthawk lives in dry country and catches insects on the wing at dusk. It lays eggs directly on the ground with little or no nest material.
Its mottled gray-brown plumage blends into the ground, and a white wingbar shows in flight.
It catches flying insects at dusk and dawn and lays eggs directly on bare ground without building a lined nest.
It lays two eggs directly on the ground, often among small pebbles. The clay-colored eggs have fine gray and purple spots. Incubation lasts18–19 days; chicks hatch downy with open eyes.
It catches mosquitoes, moths, beetles, leafhoppers, and other insects in flight, and may also jump up from the ground to seize prey.
In heat it opens its mouth and faces the wind or turns away from the sun to regulate temperature. In extreme cold it can enter torpor, reducing metabolism and activity.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.