Red-necked Nightjar vs Cayenne Nightjar
Caprimulgus ruficollis compared with Setopagis maculosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-necked Nightjar | Cayenne Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus ruficollis | Setopagis maculosa |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Data Deficient |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 86.33333333333333 g (3.05 oz) | 47.0 g (1.66 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at night over Iberian and North African scrub … | Catches flying insects in aerial pursuit at night over South American forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| 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
Cayenne Nightjar
Poorly known vocalizations; presumed churring trill based on genus; extremely rare recordings; distinct from other Setopagis by subtle tonal and rhythm differences
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
Known from a few specimens from French Guiana; possibly a rare resident of coastal forest and scrub; poorly known.
Conservation Status
Red-necked Nightjar
Cayenne 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.
Cayenne Nightjar
Brown and buff mottled above with dark vermiculations; pale buff below with darker barring; white throat patch in male; outer tail spots white; data deficient; known from only a handful …
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~47 g) from coastal French Guiana and adjacent Suriname. Known from only a handful of specimens; biology essentially unknown. Mottled brown plumage presumed cryptic in leaf litter. Presumed nocturnal insectivore. Data Deficient due to extreme rarity of confirmed records in the wild.