European Nightjar vs Spotted Nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeus compared with Eurostopodus argus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | European Nightjar | Spotted Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus europaeus | Eurostopodus argus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 36.6 cm (14.4 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 75.83333333333333 g (2.67 oz) | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and night over European heathland, forest edge, … | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Spotted Nightjar only
None
Song & Call Comparison
European Nightjar
Long, mechanical churring trill; sustained 'errrrrr' switching pitch between two notes; unique ventriloquial quality; calls from heath at dusk; alarm a sharp 'coo-ic'
Spotted Nightjar
Loud churring 'good-lord-deliver-us' repeated at dusk; melodic bubbling quality; also emits hollow 'cow-cow-cow' series and soft frog-like croaking
Geographic Range & Migration
European Nightjar
Breeds across Europe and western Asia from Britain to Lake Baikal; long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to East Africa.
Spotted Nightjar
Resident and partial migrant of open woodland, grassland, and scrub across mainland Australia and migrating to New Guinea and Indonesia in winter.
Conservation Status
European Nightjar
Spotted Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
European Nightjar
Grey-brown and buff mottled with intricate dark vermiculations; male has white spots on outer primaries and white outer tail corners; plain grey head with pale supercilium; female lacks white wing …
Spotted Nightjar
Cryptically mottled grey-brown, rufous, and black with intricate vermiculations; distinctive large white spots on wing coverts; white throat patch; no white in wings or tail. Sexes similar with slight pattern …
About These Birds
European Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~76 g) breeding across Eurasia from Britain to central Siberia in open heath, scrub, and pine plantations. Males produce a sustained mechanical churring song at dusk. Long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Feeds on moths and beetles. Least Concern despite local heathland declines.
Spotted Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~103 g) of open woodland, spinifex grassland, and rocky ridges across mainland Australia. Intricately spotted and barred brown, grey, and buff. Cryptic by day on the ground among leaf litter. Crepuscular and nocturnal; feeds on flying insects caught in aerial pursuit. Least Concern.