Donaldson Smith's Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Caprimulgus donaldsoni compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Donaldson Smith's Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus donaldsoni | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.0 cm (10.2 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 29.75 g (1.05 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal insect hawker feeding on moths, beetles, and flying crickets; hunts in buoyant coursing flight. | 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
Donaldson Smith's Nightjar
Soft, rapid churring; thin 'trrrr' at moderate pitch; small size produces lighter call; calls from dry African scrub at night; poorly known vocalizations
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Geographic Range & Migration
Donaldson Smith's Nightjar
Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Gabon south to South Africa. Common in woodland, forest edge, and gardens. Produces distinctive churring calls.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Donaldson Smith's Nightjar
Heinrich's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Donaldson Smith's Nightjar
Small and compact; pale greyish-brown upperparts finely vermiculated blackish; narrow whitish supercilium; small white throat spot; underparts pale buff with faint barring; notably small size compared to African relatives.
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
Donaldson Smith's Nightjar
A small nightjar (20-22 cm) of dry bush and semi-arid scrublands in the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Pale grey-brown plumage. Nocturnal insectivore. Named after the American explorer Donaldson Smith. Poorly known in the wild.
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.