Red-necked Nightjar vs Archbold's Nightjar
Caprimulgus ruficollis compared with Eurostopodus archboldi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-necked Nightjar | Archbold's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus ruficollis | Eurostopodus archboldi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 86.33333333333333 g (3.05 oz) | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at night over Iberian and North African scrub … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Red-necked Nightjar
Loud, resonant 'cut-CHER-cut' or 'cotcorotcot'; far-carrying hollow knocking; churring trill between phrases; calls from scrubby Mediterranean habitats at night
Archbold's Nightjar
Rarely recorded; presumed churring nocturnal song; low, resonant trilling typical of genus; vocalizations scarcely documented from highland New Guinea
Geographic Range & Migration
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.
Archbold's Nightjar
Resident of montane forest in central New Guinea (Snow Mountains and Star Mountains) above 1,500 m; very poorly known.
Conservation Status
Red-necked Nightjar
Archbold's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Red-necked Nightjar
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.
Archbold's Nightjar
Brown and dark grey with rufous-buff vermiculations; whitish throat patch; pale buff supercilium contrasts with darker crown; no white wing or tail patches; tail barred; New Guinea highlands; few records.
About These Birds
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.
Archbold's Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~77 g) known from subalpine grasslands and forest margins in the interior mountains of New Guinea. Named after naturalist Richard Archbold. Cryptic brown-patterned plumage. Nocturnal insectivore. Infrequently observed; biology largely undescribed. Least Concern in its montane range.