Red-necked Nightjar vs Spotted Nightjar
Caprimulgus ruficollis compared with Eurostopodus argus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-necked Nightjar | Spotted Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus ruficollis | Eurostopodus argus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 86.33333333333333 g (3.05 oz) | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at night over Iberian and North African scrub … | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Red-necked Nightjar only
Spotted Nightjar only
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
Spotted Nightjar
Loud churring 'good-lord-deliver-us' repeated at dusk; melodic bubbling quality; also emits hollow 'cow-cow-cow' series and soft frog-like croaking
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.
Spotted Nightjar
Resident and partial migrant of open woodland, grassland, and scrub across mainland Australia and migrating to New Guinea and Indonesia in winter.
Conservation Status
Red-necked Nightjar
Spotted 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.
Spotted Nightjar
Cryptically mottled grey-brown, rufous, and black with intricate vermiculations; distinctive large white spots on wing coverts; white throat patch; no white in wings or tail. Sexes similar with slight pattern …
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.
Spotted Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~103 g) of open woodland, spinifex grassland, and rocky ridges across mainland Australia. Intricately spotted and barred brown, grey, and buff. Cryptic by day on the ground among leaf litter. Crepuscular and nocturnal; feeds on flying insects caught in aerial pursuit. Least Concern.