Eastern Whip-poor-will vs Cayenne Nightjar
Antrostomus vociferus compared with Setopagis maculosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Eastern Whip-poor-will | Cayenne Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Antrostomus vociferus | Setopagis maculosa |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Data Deficient |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.9 cm (12.2 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 53.099999999999994 g (1.87 oz) | 47.0 g (1.66 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; catches large moths and flying insects at night over North American forest and … | Catches flying insects in aerial pursuit at night over South American forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| 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
Cayenne Nightjar
Poorly known vocalizations; presumed churring trill based on genus; extremely rare recordings; distinct from other Setopagis by subtle tonal and rhythm differences
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
Known from a few specimens from French Guiana; possibly a rare resident of coastal forest and scrub; poorly known.
Conservation Status
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Cayenne 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 …
Cayenne Nightjar
Brown and buff mottled above with dark vermiculations; pale buff below with darker barring; white throat patch in male; outer tail spots white; data deficient; known from only a handful …
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~47 g) from coastal French Guiana and adjacent Suriname. Known from only a handful of specimens; biology essentially unknown. Mottled brown plumage presumed cryptic in leaf litter. Presumed nocturnal insectivore. Data Deficient due to extreme rarity of confirmed records in the wild.