Rufous Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Antrostomus rufus compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus rufus | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 87.0 g (3.07 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches large moths and beetles in low aerial sallies over South American … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rufous Nightjar
Loud 'chuck-BURR's' or rapid rolling phrase; rich, melodic whistle; carries across South American forest; distinctive chucking intro note before main phrase
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Geographic Range & Migration
Rufous Nightjar
Resident of open woodland and scrub in tropical South America from Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad south through Brazil to Bolivia and Argentina.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Rufous Nightjar
Heinrich's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous Nightjar
Strongly rufous-brown overall with dark brown vermiculations; buff throat patch; white inner tail webs on outer tail feathers in male; no white gorget; uniformly rufous tones diagnostic among South American …
Heinrich's Nightjar
Rufous-brown and dark brown mottled with buff vermiculations; large pale buff throat patch; pale buff supercilium; no white wing markings; tail darkly barred brown and buff. Poorly known; Sulawesi endemic.
About These Birds
Rufous Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~87 g) of tropical dry forest, scrubby woodland, and clearings in Central and South America. Rich rufous-brown plumage makes it one of the more distinctively coloured nightjars. Calls with a rolling 'chuck-will's-widow'-like phrase in Spanish-speaking regions. Feeds on large insects. Least Concern.
Heinrich's Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~104 g) endemic to the forest and forest-edge habitats of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Cryptically patterned brown-and-buff. Nocturnal insectivore; catches moths and beetles in aerial sallies. Little studied and rarely encountered in the field. Least Concern within its Sulawesi range.