Dusky Nightjar vs Spotted Nightjar
Antrostomus saturatus compared with Eurostopodus argus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Dusky Nightjar | Spotted Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus saturatus | Eurostopodus argus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 28.9 cm (11.4 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 51.95 g (1.83 oz) | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; hawks moths and beetles over Costa Rican and Panamanian forest. | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Dusky Nightjar
Soft, repeated 'wherrr-wherrr'; gentle churring whistle from Costa Rican highlands; calls from cloud forest at night; moderate pace with slight upward inflection
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
Dusky Nightjar
Resident of highland forest and forest edge in Costa Rica and western Panama, at 1,000–2,500 m; closely tied to Chirripó massif.
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
Dusky Nightjar
Spotted Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Dusky Nightjar
Darker and more saturated than related nightjars; dark brown-grey with buff mottling and dark vermiculations; white gorget in male; pale buff barred underparts; small white outer tail spots; Costa Rican …
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
Dusky Nightjar
A medium-small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~52 g) of montane forest and forest edges in Costa Rica and western Panama above 900 m. Dark sooty-brown plumage with faint paler barring. Calls with a repeated churring phrase at night. Feeds on flying insects in montane cloud forest. Least Concern; range restricted but stable.
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.