Sombre Nightjar vs Cayenne Nightjar
Caprimulgus fraenatus compared with Setopagis maculosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sombre Nightjar | Cayenne Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus fraenatus | Setopagis maculosa |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Data Deficient |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.4 cm (12.8 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 60.0 g (2.12 oz) | 47.0 g (1.66 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds at night on flying insects including moths and beetles; hunts with buoyant erratic flight … | Catches flying insects in aerial pursuit at night over South American forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Sombre Nightjar
Monotonous churring trill; repetitive 'churr' at moderate tempo from East African scrub; lower-pitched and less musical than some relatives; calls persistently at night
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
Sombre Nightjar
Found across East Africa from Ethiopia and Somalia south to Tanzania. Resident in dry acacia scrub, thornbush, and arid savanna at low elevations.
Cayenne Nightjar
Known from a few specimens from French Guiana; possibly a rare resident of coastal forest and scrub; poorly known.
Conservation Status
Sombre Nightjar
Cayenne Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Sombre Nightjar
Uniformly dark sooty-brown upperparts with dense blackish vermiculations; pale buff supercilium and narrow white submoustachial stripe; underparts barred buff and dark brown. Sexes similar.
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
Sombre Nightjar
A medium-sized nightjar (23-25 cm) with cryptic grey-brown plumage and a pale collar. Nocturnal and insectivorous, hawking moths and beetles in flight. Found in open woodland and savanna across sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. 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.