Bates's Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Caprimulgus batesi compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bates's Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus batesi | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 100.5 g (3.55 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Nighttime aerial hunter of moths and large beetles; forages in low-level coursing flight above grassland … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| 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
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
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.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Bates's Nightjar
Heinrich'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.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Rufous-brown and dark brown mottled with buff vermiculations; large pale buff throat patch; pale buff supercilium; no white wing markings; tail darkly barred brown and buff. Poorly known; Sulawesi endemic.
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.
Heinrich's Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~104 g) endemic to the forest and forest-edge habitats of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Cryptically patterned brown-and-buff. Nocturnal insectivore; catches moths and beetles in aerial sallies. Little studied and rarely encountered in the field. Least Concern within its Sulawesi range.