Jerdon's Nightjar vs Archbold's Nightjar
Caprimulgus atripennis compared with Eurostopodus archboldi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Jerdon's Nightjar | Archbold's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus atripennis | Eurostopodus archboldi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 36.8 cm (14.5 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 58.0 g (2.05 oz) | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) |
| Diet | Nighttime insectivore catching large moths and beetles in sweeping aerial sallies over rocky hillsides and … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Jerdon's Nightjar
Loud 'chuck-chuck-chuck-rrr'; hollow knocking 'chuck' notes preceding long trill; calls from South Indian scrub and forest edges; repeats phrase persistently 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
Jerdon's Nightjar
Found across peninsular India and Sri Lanka, north to Nepal. Resident in dry deciduous forest, scrub jungle, and rocky terrain below 1,500 m.
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
Jerdon's Nightjar
Archbold's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Jerdon's Nightjar
Dark brownish-black upperparts with pale buff vermiculations; whitish supercilium and moustachial stripe; throat patch white; dark wings with buff-spotted coverts; lacks bold white wing patches of some relatives.
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
Jerdon's Nightjar
A medium-sized nightjar (24-26 cm) endemic to the Indian subcontinent, found in rocky hillsides and dry deciduous forests of southern India and Sri Lanka. Grey-brown plumage with intricate vermiculations. Nocturnal insectivore with a distinctive churring call at dusk.
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.