Grey Nightjar vs Archbold's Nightjar
Caprimulgus jotaka compared with Eurostopodus archboldi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey Nightjar | Archbold's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus jotaka | Eurostopodus archboldi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 40.7 cm (16.0 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 84.4 g (2.98 oz) | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks moths and large insects at dusk and night over East and SE Asian forest … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Grey Nightjar
Persistent 'cawk-cawk-cawk'; hollow, frog-like notes repeated rapidly; calls from East Asian forests at night; higher-pitched variant churr also given; very persistent caller
Archbold's Nightjar
Rarely recorded; presumed churring nocturnal song; low, resonant trilling typical of genus; vocalizations scarcely documented from highland New Guinea
Geographic Range & Migration
Grey Nightjar
Breeds in deciduous and mixed forest from far eastern Russia and northern China south to Korea and Japan; winters in southern and Southeast Asia.
Archbold's Nightjar
Resident of montane forest in central New Guinea (Snow Mountains and Star Mountains) above 1,500 m; very poorly known.
Conservation Status
Grey Nightjar
Archbold's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Grey Nightjar
Grey-brown above with pale buff vermiculations; grey tones stronger than Jungle Nightjar; white throat patch; white outer wing spots; white outer tail in male; buff throat and tail spots in …
Archbold's Nightjar
Brown and dark grey with rufous-buff vermiculations; whitish throat patch; pale buff supercilium contrasts with darker crown; no white wing or tail patches; tail barred; New Guinea highlands; few records.
About These Birds
Grey Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~84 g) of montane forest and forest edges in Japan, Korea, and northeastern China, wintering in Southeast Asia. Greyish brown with fine vermiculations. Recently split from the Jungle Nightjar. Males call with a nasal 'pyo-pyo' at dusk. Feeds on flying insects. Least Concern.
Archbold's Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~77 g) known from subalpine grasslands and forest margins in the interior mountains of New Guinea. Named after naturalist Richard Archbold. Cryptic brown-patterned plumage. Nocturnal insectivore. Infrequently observed; biology largely undescribed. Least Concern in its montane range.