Eastern Whip-poor-will vs Archbold's Nightjar
Antrostomus vociferus compared with Eurostopodus archboldi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Eastern Whip-poor-will | Archbold's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus vociferus | Eurostopodus archboldi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.9 cm (12.2 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 53.099999999999994 g (1.87 oz) | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; catches large moths and flying insects at night over North American forest and … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Loud, clear 'whip-POOR-WILL' repeated hundreds of times; emphatic burry whistle; iconic nocturnal forest sound of eastern North America; male calls incessantly at dusk
Archbold's Nightjar
Rarely recorded; presumed churring nocturnal song; low, resonant trilling typical of genus; vocalizations scarcely documented from highland New Guinea
Geographic Range & Migration
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Breeds in open woodland and forest edge in eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast; winters in Central America and Mexico.
Archbold's Nightjar
Resident of montane forest in central New Guinea (Snow Mountains and Star Mountains) above 1,500 m; very poorly known.
Conservation Status
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Archbold's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Grey-brown and buff mottled above with dark vermiculations; white gorget in male; pale buff barred underparts; white tips on outer tail feathers in male; female with buff gorget and buff …
Archbold's Nightjar
Brown and dark grey with rufous-buff vermiculations; whitish throat patch; pale buff supercilium contrasts with darker crown; no white wing or tail patches; tail barred; New Guinea highlands; few records.
About These Birds
Eastern Whip-poor-will
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~53 g) of dry open forest in eastern North America, famous for its insistent 'whip-poor-will' call repeated hundreds of times. Mottled grey-brown plumage. Winters in Central America. Feeds on moths and beetles in aerial pursuit. Near Threatened from insect declines and forest fragmentation.
Archbold's Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~77 g) known from subalpine grasslands and forest margins in the interior mountains of New Guinea. Named after naturalist Richard Archbold. Cryptic brown-patterned plumage. Nocturnal insectivore. Infrequently observed; biology largely undescribed. Least Concern in its montane range.