Bates's Nightjar vs Archbold's Nightjar
Caprimulgus batesi compared with Eurostopodus archboldi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bates's Nightjar | Archbold's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus batesi | Eurostopodus archboldi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 100.5 g (3.55 oz) | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) |
| Diet | Nighttime aerial hunter of moths and large beetles; forages in low-level coursing flight above grassland … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Bates's Nightjar
Deep, resonant churring trill; one of larger African Caprimulgus; low hollow 'churrrr' from Central African rainforest; calls at night from dense lowland forest
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
Bates's Nightjar
Found across West Africa from Gambia east to Sudan and south to the DRC. Resident in open savanna. Male has spectacular elongated tail feathers.
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
Bates's Nightjar
Archbold's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Bates's Nightjar
Large and very dark; blackish-brown upperparts with minimal pale patterning; small white throat spot; underparts dark brown with buff barring; one of the darkest nightjars, inhabiting dense Central African rainforests.
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
Bates's Nightjar
A medium-sized nightjar (24-26 cm) of lowland primary rainforest in the Gulf of Guinea region of West and Central Africa. Dark brown plumage. Nocturnal insectivore, feeding in the forest interior. Poorly known due to secretive habits and dense forest habitat.
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.