Dusky Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Antrostomus saturatus compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Dusky Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus saturatus | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 28.9 cm (11.4 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 51.95 g (1.83 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; hawks moths and beetles over Costa Rican and Panamanian forest. | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| 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
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
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.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Dusky Nightjar
Heinrich's 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 …
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
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.
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.