Andaman Nightjar vs Red-necked Nightjar

Caprimulgus andamanicus compared with Caprimulgus ruficollis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Andaman Nightjar Red-necked Nightjar
Scientific Name Caprimulgus andamanicus Caprimulgus ruficollis
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Near Threatened
Length — —
Wingspan 36.4 cm (14.3 in) 39.6 cm (15.6 in)
Weight 66.06666666666666 g (2.33 oz) 86.33333333333333 g (3.05 oz)
Diet Night-hunting insectivore targeting moths, flying beetles, and winged ants in erratic low-altitude aerial passes. Hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at night over Iberian and North African scrub …
Clutch Size 1-2 1-2
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Andaman Nightjar only

None

Red-necked Nightjar only

Song & Call Comparison

Andaman Nightjar

Song

Loud 'chuck-chuck-trrr'; hollow knocking prefix followed by trill; endemic to Andaman Islands; calls at night from forest edges and clearings; similar to Large-tailed

Red-necked Nightjar

Song

Loud, resonant 'cut-CHER-cut' or 'cotcorotcot'; far-carrying hollow knocking; churring trill between phrases; calls from scrubby Mediterranean habitats at night

Geographic Range & Migration

Andaman Nightjar

Endemic to the Philippines including Luzon and Mindanao. Resident in lowland and submontane forest and forest edge up to 1,800 m.

Red-necked Nightjar

Breeds on the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, and northwestern Algeria; long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan West Africa from Senegal to Guinea.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Andaman Nightjar

Near Threatened

Red-necked Nightjar

How to Tell Them Apart

Andaman Nightjar

Plumage

Warm rufous-brown upperparts with black-centred scapulars and pale buff streaks; broad white throat patch; males show white outer tail feathers; underparts buff barred brown; endemic island coloration slightly warmer than …

Red-necked Nightjar

Plumage

Large nightjar; grey-brown mottled above; rufous-orange hindneck collar diagnostic; white throat patch in male; white spots on wing coverts and outer tail in male; buff equivalents in female.

About These Birds

Andaman Nightjar

A medium-sized nightjar (24-26 cm) endemic to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Dark brown plumage with rufous collar spots. Nocturnal insectivore of lowland and mangrove forests. A sedentary species with a restricted island range.

Red-necked Nightjar

A large Caprimulgidae nightjar (~86 g) breeding in open pine forest and scrub of Iberia and northwestern Africa, wintering in sub-Saharan West Africa. A rufous collar is distinctive among Palearctic nightjars. Calls with a loud rhythmic 'kutuk-kutuk' at night. Feeds on large moths. Near Threatened from habitat loss.

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