Slender-tailed Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Caprimulgus clarus compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Slender-tailed Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus clarus | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.6 cm (11.7 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 43.0 g (1.52 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore specialising in large moths and flying beetles, caught in slow erratic hunting … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Slender-tailed Nightjar
Rapid churring trill; 'trrr-trrr' at steady pace; calls from East African dry scrub at night; lighter than Long-tailed Nightjar; alarm a quiet 'chek'
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Geographic Range & Migration
Slender-tailed Nightjar
Found from Angola and the DRC south through Zambia and Zimbabwe to South Africa. Resident in woodland and savanna near rocky outcrops.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Slender-tailed Nightjar
Heinrich's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Slender-tailed Nightjar
Pale brown upperparts with black streaks and buff-white spotting; whitish supercilium; white throat patch; underparts buff barred brown; males have elongated but narrower tail feathers than Long-tailed Nightjar.
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
Slender-tailed Nightjar
A slender nightjar (24-27 cm including elongated tail) of open grassland and woodland edges in eastern and southern Africa. Similar to Long-tailed Nightjar but with paler plumage and finer markings. Nocturnal insectivore. Resident or short-distance migrant.
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.