Eastern Whip-poor-will vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Antrostomus vociferus compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Eastern Whip-poor-will | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus vociferus | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.9 cm (12.2 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 53.099999999999994 g (1.87 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; catches large moths and flying insects at night over North American forest and … | 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
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
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
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.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Heinrich'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 …
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
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.
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.