Freckled Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Caprimulgus tristigma compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Freckled Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caprimulgus tristigma | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.4 cm (13.5 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 79.88333333333334 g (2.82 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore, hawking moths, beetles, and other flying insects in sustained sallying flight over … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Freckled Nightjar
Loud, dog-like 'bow-wow' or 'woof-woof'; unusual barking call for a nightjar; carries across rocky African outcrops; alarm a sharp 'chek'; distinctive among all nightjars
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Geographic Range & Migration
Freckled Nightjar
Found in Borneo and Sumatra in lowland rainforest and peat swamp forest. Rare and seldom recorded; possibly resident year-round.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Freckled Nightjar
Heinrich's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Freckled Nightjar
Heavily freckled dark grey and black upperparts resembling granite surfaces; whitish throat patch; underparts densely barred dark and pale; uniquely dark stone-coloured cryptic plumage adapted to rocky outcrops in Africa.
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
Freckled Nightjar
A medium-sized nightjar (25-28 cm) found on rocky outcrops and boulder-strewn hillsides across sub-Saharan Africa. Distinctively speckled grey and brown plumage resembling lichen-covered rock. Crepuscular and nocturnal insectivore. Resident, with one of the most camouflaged plumages among nightjars.
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.