Grey Nightjar vs Spotted Nightjar
Caprimulgus jotaka compared with Eurostopodus argus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey Nightjar | Spotted Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus jotaka | Eurostopodus argus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 40.7 cm (16.0 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 84.4 g (2.98 oz) | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks moths and large insects at dusk and night over East and SE Asian forest … | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … |
| 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
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
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.
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
Grey Nightjar
Spotted 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 …
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
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.
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.