Andaman Nightjar vs Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Caprimulgus andamanicus compared with Systellura decussata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Andaman Nightjar | Lesser Band-winged Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus andamanicus | Systellura decussata |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 36.4 cm (14.3 in) | 26.6 cm (10.5 in) |
| Weight | 66.06666666666666 g (2.33 oz) | 31.833333333333332 g (1.12 oz) |
| Diet | Night-hunting insectivore targeting moths, flying beetles, and winged ants in erratic low-altitude aerial passes. | Hawks flying insects at night over Andean and coastal scrub of Peru and northern Chile. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Andaman Nightjar
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
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Soft 'tyuk' phrases; lighter and higher than Greater Band-winged; gentle churring trill; calls from Pacific coastal scrub at dusk; thin, reedy alarm note
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.
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Resident of desert scrub, rocky hillsides, and coastal pampas in Peru and northern Chile; closely associated with arid Pacific slope.
Conservation Status
Andaman Nightjar
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Andaman Nightjar
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 …
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Smaller than Greater Band-winged; brown and buff mottled with dark vermiculations; white wing bar across primaries; white throat in male; buff throat in female; white outer tail spots in male; …
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.
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
A very small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~32 g) of coastal desert scrub and rocky slopes in Peru and northern Chile. Pale-buffy with fine vermiculations and a paler wing band. Restricted to very arid Pacific-slope habitats. Nocturnal; feeds on small insects. Little studied; Least Concern in its specialised desert range.