Yucatan Nightjar vs Spotted Nightjar
Antrostomus badius compared with Eurostopodus argus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Yucatan Nightjar | Spotted Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus badius | Eurostopodus argus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.6 cm (12.8 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 58.03333333333333 g (2.05 oz) | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and flying insects over Yucatan dry forest and scrub. | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Yucatan Nightjar
Whistled 'WEEP-weep' phrase; clear, melodic call from Yucatan dry forest; repeated steadily at night; lower than Tawny-collared; alarm a sharp bark note
Spotted Nightjar
Loud churring 'good-lord-deliver-us' repeated at dusk; melodic bubbling quality; also emits hollow 'cow-cow-cow' series and soft frog-like croaking
Geographic Range & Migration
Yucatan Nightjar
Resident of lowland tropical forest and scrub in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize, and northern Guatemala.
Spotted Nightjar
Resident and partial migrant of open woodland, grassland, and scrub across mainland Australia and migrating to New Guinea and Indonesia in winter.
Conservation Status
Yucatan Nightjar
Spotted Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Yucatan Nightjar
Brown and grey mottled above with buff vermiculations; lacks tawny collar of Tawny-collared Nightjar; white gorget in male; pale buff below; white outer tail spots in male; buff tail in …
Spotted Nightjar
Cryptically mottled grey-brown, rufous, and black with intricate vermiculations; distinctive large white spots on wing coverts; white throat patch; no white in wings or tail. Sexes similar with slight pattern …
About These Birds
Yucatan Nightjar
A medium-small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~58 g) restricted to the Yucatan Peninsula, northern Guatemala, and northern Belize. Inhabits dry deciduous and semi-evergreen forest. Brown-and-buff cryptic plumage. Calls with a repetitive whip-like phrase at night. Feeds on moths and beetles. Least Concern; limited but stable range.
Spotted Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~103 g) of open woodland, spinifex grassland, and rocky ridges across mainland Australia. Intricately spotted and barred brown, grey, and buff. Cryptic by day on the ground among leaf litter. Crepuscular and nocturnal; feeds on flying insects caught in aerial pursuit. Least Concern.