Puerto Rican Nightjar vs Spotted Nightjar
Antrostomus noctitherus compared with Eurostopodus argus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Puerto Rican Nightjar | Spotted Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus noctitherus | Eurostopodus argus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.5 cm (10.4 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 35.99 g (1.27 oz) | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) |
| Diet | Catches large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Puerto Rican dry limestone forest; endangered. | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Puerto Rican Nightjar only
None
Spotted Nightjar only
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
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
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Endemic to Puerto Rico; critically endangered resident of karst limestone scrub and dry forest in the southwestern part of the island.
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
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Spotted 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 …
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
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.
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.