Star-spotted Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Caprimulgus stellatus compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Star-spotted Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus stellatus | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.9 cm (12.2 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 59.25 g (2.09 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Star-spotted Nightjar only
Heinrich's Nightjar only
Song & Call Comparison
Star-spotted Nightjar
Churring trill; hollow 'chuck' notes interspersed with churring; calls from dry East African bush at night; similar to Donaldson Smith's but larger and louder
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Geographic Range & Migration
Star-spotted Nightjar
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Star-spotted Nightjar
Heinrich's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Star-spotted Nightjar
Dark brown upperparts densely dotted with small buff-white stellate spots; white throat patch; underparts barred buff and dark brown; the star-like white spotting on wing coverts and back is the …
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
Star-spotted Nightjar
A small nightjar (21-23 cm) found in dry, rocky semi-desert and arid bushland of the Horn of Africa and southern Arabian Peninsula. Sandy-brown plumage with star-like white spots on wing coverts. Nocturnal insectivore. Poorly studied due to remote habitat.
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.