Standard-winged Nightjar vs Papuan Nightjar
Caprimulgus longipennis compared with Eurostopodus papuensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Standard-winged Nightjar | Papuan Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus longipennis | Eurostopodus papuensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) |
| Weight | 48.5 g (1.71 oz) | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal moth and beetle specialist; hunts in sustained low flight over dry open country and … | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Standard-winged Nightjar only
Papuan Nightjar only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Standard-winged Nightjar
Churring 'chrrr' from West African woodland; male performs display flight with elongated wing feathers; calls from open savanna; alarm a quiet 'chek'
Papuan Nightjar
Churring, repetitive nocturnal call; soft bubbling trill; melodic series of hollow notes; calls from low perch or ground in New Guinea lowland forest
Geographic Range & Migration
Standard-winged Nightjar
Breeds in central and southern Africa from Angola south to South Africa. Intra-African migrant; moves north in austral winter through miombo woodland.
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
Conservation Status
Standard-winged Nightjar
Papuan Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Standard-winged Nightjar
Brown and black cryptic upperparts; white throat patch; breeding males develop extraordinary elongated inner primaries as feather-flag standards up to 38 cm with small terminal vane; among Africa's most spectacular …
Papuan Nightjar
Dark grey-brown finely vermiculated with buff and black; pale buff and rufous throat patch; pale supercilium; no white wing patches; tail barred brown and buff; cryptically patterned bark-mimicking plumage.
About These Birds
Standard-winged Nightjar
A remarkable nightjar (22-28 cm) in which breeding males develop an extraordinary elongated innermost primary feather (up to 38 cm) with a broad, pennant-like flag. Found in moist savanna across West and Central Africa. Nocturnal insectivore; an intra-African migrant.
Papuan Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~81 g) of lowland savanna, grassland, and forest edges across the southern lowlands of New Guinea. Cryptic buff-and-brown plumage; white-spotted wings visible in flight. Nocturnal aerial insectivore. Commonly heard at night but rarely seen by day. Least Concern.