Slender-tailed Nightjar vs Cayenne Nightjar
Caprimulgus clarus compared with Setopagis maculosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Slender-tailed Nightjar | Cayenne Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus clarus | Setopagis maculosa |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Data Deficient |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.6 cm (11.7 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 43.0 g (1.52 oz) | 47.0 g (1.66 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore specialising in large moths and flying beetles, caught in slow erratic hunting … | Catches flying insects in aerial pursuit at night over South American forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-2 |
| 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'
Cayenne Nightjar
Poorly known vocalizations; presumed churring trill based on genus; extremely rare recordings; distinct from other Setopagis by subtle tonal and rhythm differences
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
Known from a few specimens from French Guiana; possibly a rare resident of coastal forest and scrub; poorly known.
Conservation Status
Slender-tailed Nightjar
Cayenne 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.
Cayenne Nightjar
Brown and buff mottled above with dark vermiculations; pale buff below with darker barring; white throat patch in male; outer tail spots white; data deficient; known from only a handful …
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~47 g) from coastal French Guiana and adjacent Suriname. Known from only a handful of specimens; biology essentially unknown. Mottled brown plumage presumed cryptic in leaf litter. Presumed nocturnal insectivore. Data Deficient due to extreme rarity of confirmed records in the wild.