Andaman Nightjar vs Papuan Nightjar

Caprimulgus andamanicus compared with Eurostopodus papuensis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Andaman Nightjar Papuan Nightjar
Scientific Name Caprimulgus andamanicus Eurostopodus papuensis
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 36.4 cm (14.3 in) 37.9 cm (14.9 in)
Weight 66.06666666666666 g (2.33 oz) 80.5 g (2.84 oz)
Diet Night-hunting insectivore targeting moths, flying beetles, and winged ants in erratic low-altitude aerial passes. Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna.
Clutch Size 1-2 1
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Andaman Nightjar only

None

Papuan Nightjar only

None

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Song & Call Comparison

Andaman Nightjar

Song

Loud 'chuck-chuck-trrr'; hollow knocking prefix followed by trill; endemic to Andaman Islands; calls at night from forest edges and clearings; similar to Large-tailed

Papuan Nightjar

Song

Churring, repetitive nocturnal call; soft bubbling trill; melodic series of hollow notes; calls from low perch or ground in New Guinea lowland forest

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Geographic Range & Migration

Andaman Nightjar

Endemic to the Philippines including Luzon and Mindanao. Resident in lowland and submontane forest and forest edge up to 1,800 m.

Papuan Nightjar

Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Andaman Nightjar

Least Concern

Papuan Nightjar

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How to Tell Them Apart

Andaman Nightjar

Plumage

Warm rufous-brown upperparts with black-centred scapulars and pale buff streaks; broad white throat patch; males show white outer tail feathers; underparts buff barred brown; endemic island coloration slightly warmer than …

Papuan Nightjar

Plumage

Dark grey-brown finely vermiculated with buff and black; pale buff and rufous throat patch; pale supercilium; no white wing patches; tail barred brown and buff; cryptically patterned bark-mimicking plumage.

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About These Birds

Andaman Nightjar

A medium-sized nightjar (24-26 cm) endemic to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Dark brown plumage with rufous collar spots. Nocturnal insectivore of lowland and mangrove forests. A sedentary species with a restricted island range.

Papuan Nightjar

A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~81 g) of lowland savanna, grassland, and forest edges across the southern lowlands of New Guinea. Cryptic buff-and-brown plumage; white-spotted wings visible in flight. Nocturnal aerial insectivore. Commonly heard at night but rarely seen by day. Least Concern.

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