Montane Nightjar vs Papuan Nightjar
Caprimulgus poliocephalus compared with Eurostopodus papuensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Montane Nightjar | Papuan Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus poliocephalus | Eurostopodus papuensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 31.1 cm (12.2 in) | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) |
| Weight | 47.050000000000004 g (1.66 oz) | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) |
| Diet | Nighttime aerial insectivore; moths and beetles are primary prey, caught by hawking over forest clearings. | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Montane Nightjar
Churring trill from East African highlands; repetitive 'churr-churr-churr'; slightly higher pitched than lowland species; calls from highland scrub and forest edge
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
Montane Nightjar
Found across the Indian subcontinent from Pakistan and Nepal south to Sri Lanka. Common in open scrub, rocky hillsides, and dry woodland.
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
Conservation Status
Montane Nightjar
Papuan Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Montane Nightjar
Grey-brown upperparts with fine blackish streaks; pale grey head contrasting slightly with browner back; white throat patch; underparts buff barred brown; inhabits high-altitude montane zones in East Africa.
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
Montane Nightjar
A medium-sized nightjar (23-24 cm) found in montane forests and high-altitude grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, from Ethiopia to South Africa. Grey-brown plumage with fine mottling. Nocturnal insectivore, feeding above the forest canopy. Resident at elevations above 1,500 m.
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.