European Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeus compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | European Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus europaeus | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 36.6 cm (14.4 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 75.83333333333333 g (2.67 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and night over European heathland, forest edge, … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
European Nightjar only
Heinrich's 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'
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
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.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
European Nightjar
Heinrich's 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 …
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
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.
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.