Tawny-collared Nightjar vs Papuan Nightjar
Antrostomus salvini compared with Eurostopodus papuensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Tawny-collared Nightjar | Papuan Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus salvini | Eurostopodus papuensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) |
| Weight | 56.0 g (1.98 oz) | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks moths and beetles at night over Central American forest and forest edge. | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Tawny-collared Nightjar
Loud 'WHEEP' or 'weet' repeated at intervals; sharp, whistled call; carries through Mexican highland forest; higher-pitched than Chuck-will's-widow; distinctive sharp quality
Papuan Nightjar
Churring, repetitive nocturnal call; soft bubbling trill; melodic series of hollow notes; calls from low perch or ground in New Guinea lowland forest
Geographic Range & Migration
Tawny-collared Nightjar
Resident of tropical dry forest and scrub in eastern Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco) and northern Central America.
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
Conservation Status
Tawny-collared Nightjar
Papuan Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Tawny-collared Nightjar
Brown and buff mottled above; distinctive tawny-buff collar encircling hindneck diagnostic; white gorget in male; pale buff underparts with dark barring; white outer tail spots in male; Mexican dry forests.
Papuan Nightjar
Dark grey-brown finely vermiculated with buff and black; pale buff and rufous throat patch; pale supercilium; no white wing patches; tail barred brown and buff; cryptically patterned bark-mimicking plumage.
About These Birds
Tawny-collared Nightjar
A medium-small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~56 g) of humid foothill and montane forest edges in northeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. Named for its tawny hindneck collar. Brown-mottled plumage; males have white tail corners. Roosts on the ground; feeds nocturnally on insects. Least Concern.
Papuan Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~81 g) of lowland savanna, grassland, and forest edges across the southern lowlands of New Guinea. Cryptic buff-and-brown plumage; white-spotted wings visible in flight. Nocturnal aerial insectivore. Commonly heard at night but rarely seen by day. Least Concern.