Rufous-cheeked Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Caprimulgus rufigena compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-cheeked Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus rufigena | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.1 cm (12.6 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 54.68333333333334 g (1.93 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths, crickets, and beetles in sustained low-altitude hunting flights. | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Rapid churring trill interspersed with 'chook' notes; churring 'rrr-chook-rrr-chook' pattern; calls from southern African woodland at night; distinctive interrupted rhythm
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Geographic Range & Migration
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Breeds in southern Africa from Namibia to South Africa. Partially migratory, moving north in austral winter. Found in dry woodland and savanna.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Heinrich's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Cryptic brown-grey upperparts with bold black streaks; distinctive warm rufous-cinnamon cheek patch; white throat patch; males show white outer tail corners absent in females.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Rufous-brown and dark brown mottled with buff vermiculations; large pale buff throat patch; pale buff supercilium; no white wing markings; tail darkly barred brown and buff. Poorly known; Sulawesi endemic.
About These Birds
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
A slender nightjar (23-25 cm) with warm rufous cheek patches and grey-brown mottled plumage. Crepuscular and nocturnal, feeding on flying insects in dry savanna and semi-arid bushveld. Breeds across southern and eastern Africa. An intra-African migrant wintering in tropical regions.
Heinrich's Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~104 g) endemic to the forest and forest-edge habitats of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Cryptically patterned brown-and-buff. Nocturnal insectivore; catches moths and beetles in aerial sallies. Little studied and rarely encountered in the field. Least Concern within its Sulawesi range.