Puerto Rican Nightjar vs Archbold's Nightjar
Antrostomus noctitherus compared with Eurostopodus archboldi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Puerto Rican Nightjar | Archbold's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus noctitherus | Eurostopodus archboldi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.5 cm (10.4 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 35.99 g (1.27 oz) | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) |
| Diet | Catches large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Puerto Rican dry limestone forest; endangered. | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Sharp 'took' or 'took-WHEEER'; distinctive two-note call; calls from dry coastal forest of Puerto Rico; endangered; calls less frequently than mainland relatives
Archbold's Nightjar
Rarely recorded; presumed churring nocturnal song; low, resonant trilling typical of genus; vocalizations scarcely documented from highland New Guinea
Geographic Range & Migration
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Endemic to Puerto Rico; critically endangered resident of karst limestone scrub and dry forest in the southwestern part of the island.
Archbold's Nightjar
Resident of montane forest in central New Guinea (Snow Mountains and Star Mountains) above 1,500 m; very poorly known.
Conservation Status
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Archbold's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Small; grey-brown and buff mottled above with dark vermiculations; white gorget in male; pale buff barred underparts; white outer tail spots in male; buff tail in female; critically small range …
Archbold's Nightjar
Brown and dark grey with rufous-buff vermiculations; whitish throat patch; pale buff supercilium contrasts with darker crown; no white wing or tail patches; tail barred; New Guinea highlands; few records.
About These Birds
Puerto Rican Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~36 g) endemic to the dry limestone coastal scrub of southwestern Puerto Rico. Cryptically patterned grey-brown. Restricted to a tiny area of suitable habitat; population estimated at a few hundred pairs. Feeds on insects at night. Vulnerable from habitat conversion and introduced predators.
Archbold's Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~77 g) known from subalpine grasslands and forest margins in the interior mountains of New Guinea. Named after naturalist Richard Archbold. Cryptic brown-patterned plumage. Nocturnal insectivore. Infrequently observed; biology largely undescribed. Least Concern in its montane range.