Bates's Nightjar vs Papuan Nightjar
Caprimulgus batesi compared with Eurostopodus papuensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bates's Nightjar | Papuan Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus batesi | Eurostopodus papuensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) |
| Weight | 100.5 g (3.55 oz) | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) |
| Diet | Nighttime aerial hunter of moths and large beetles; forages in low-level coursing flight above grassland … | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. |
| 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
Papuan Nightjar
Churring, repetitive nocturnal call; soft bubbling trill; melodic series of hollow notes; calls from low perch or ground in New Guinea lowland forest
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.
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
Conservation Status
Bates's Nightjar
Papuan 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.
Papuan Nightjar
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.
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.
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.