Nubian Nightjar vs Papuan Nightjar
Caprimulgus nubicus compared with Eurostopodus papuensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Nubian Nightjar | Papuan Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus nubicus | Eurostopodus papuensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.6 cm (11.7 in) | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) |
| Weight | 54.8 g (1.93 oz) | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on flying insects at night, mainly moths and beetles, by coursing low over open … | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Nubian Nightjar
Rapid, churring trill; nasal 'churr-churr' at medium pace; calls from arid African scrub and rocky desert at night; alarm a sharp 'chek'; calls mostly near water
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
Nubian Nightjar
Found in a disjunct range across the Middle East and northeastern Africa including Israel, Egypt, Sudan, and Somalia. Resident in rocky desert.
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
Conservation Status
Nubian Nightjar
Papuan Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Nubian Nightjar
Richly patterned rufous-buff and dark brown upperparts; prominent tawny-orange nuchal collar; white throat patch; males have white spots on primary tips; overall warmer tones than most African nightjars.
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
Nubian Nightjar
A small nightjar (20-22 cm) restricted to arid scrublands of the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Pale sandy-brown plumage with fine dark markings. Nocturnal insectivore, hawking insects low over the ground. Classified as Near Threatened due to limited range.
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.