Sand-colored Nighthawk vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Chordeiles rupestris compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sand-colored Nighthawk | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chordeiles rupestris | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.9 cm (13.0 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 52.25 g (1.84 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks insects over South American river sandbars and open areas, often in flocks. | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Sand-colored Nighthawk only
Heinrich's Nightjar only
Song & Call Comparison
Sand-colored Nighthawk
Nasal, buzzy 'bzeent' calls; short buzzing trills; colonial roosters produce chorus of soft chirring notes; calls from sandy riverbanks at dusk
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Geographic Range & Migration
Sand-colored Nighthawk
Resident of sandy riverbanks and open savanna in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
Sand-colored Nighthawk
Heinrich's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Sand-colored Nighthawk
Pale sandy-buff overall with dark brown vermiculations; white throat and lower underparts; bold white wing bar; white tail with dark terminal band; paler coloration than other nighthawks suits sandy riverbank …
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
Sand-colored Nighthawk
A small Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~52 g) of open sandy riverbanks and beaches along major Amazonian and Orinoco river systems. Pale sandy and white plumage provides near-perfect camouflage on bare sand. Roosts communally on sandbanks; feeds on insects at dawn and dusk. Least Concern; common along large rivers.
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.