The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat. The most distinguishing characteristic to determine its identity from its closest relative the common nighthawk are the contrasting pale tertials near the back of the wings of a sitting bird.
Male birds have a white throat while females have a light brown throat. A key way to distinguish this species from the similar common nighthawk is by looking at the pale tertials on their wings, which are more prominent in sitting birds.