Nacunda Nighthawk vs Archbold's Nightjar
Chordeiles nacunda compared with Eurostopodus archboldi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Nacunda Nighthawk | Archbold's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles nacunda | Eurostopodus archboldi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 47.6 cm (18.7 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 157.0 g (5.54 oz) | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; forages in flocks hawking flying insects over South American grassland and open country. | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Nacunda Nighthawk
Deep, booming 'na-KUN-da' or 'woop-woop'; low-pitched buzzy calls; wings produce loud rattling sound in display; louder than most nighthawks
Archbold's Nightjar
Rarely recorded; presumed churring nocturnal song; low, resonant trilling typical of genus; vocalizations scarcely documented from highland New Guinea
Geographic Range & Migration
Nacunda Nighthawk
Resident of open savanna, grassland, and scrub from Colombia and Venezuela south through Brazil to Argentina; partially nomadic.
Archbold's Nightjar
Resident of montane forest in central New Guinea (Snow Mountains and Star Mountains) above 1,500 m; very poorly known.
Conservation Status
Nacunda Nighthawk
Archbold's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Nacunda Nighthawk
Large nighthawk; brown above with buff mottling; white throat and belly contrasting strongly with dark breast; bold white wing bar across primaries visible in flight; white tail band. Female has …
Archbold's Nightjar
Brown and dark grey with rufous-buff vermiculations; whitish throat patch; pale buff supercilium contrasts with darker crown; no white wing or tail patches; tail barred; New Guinea highlands; few records.
About These Birds
Nacunda Nighthawk
The largest New World nighthawk (~157 g), family Caprimulgidae, of open savanna and grassland in South America east of the Andes. White belly is conspicuous in flight. Highly gregarious; roosts and hunts in flocks. Crepuscular and nocturnal aerial insectivore. Partially migratory in austral winter. Least Concern.
Archbold's Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~77 g) known from subalpine grasslands and forest margins in the interior mountains of New Guinea. Named after naturalist Richard Archbold. Cryptic brown-patterned plumage. Nocturnal insectivore. Infrequently observed; biology largely undescribed. Least Concern in its montane range.