White-winged Nightjar vs Heinrich's Nightjar
Eleothreptus candicans compared with Eurostopodus diabolicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-winged Nightjar | Heinrich's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eleothreptus candicans | Eurostopodus diabolicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.2 cm (11.9 in) | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) |
| Weight | 49.666666666666664 g (1.75 oz) | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) |
| Diet | Catches flying insects in nocturnal aerial sallies over South American savanna and grassland. | 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
White-winged Nightjar
Soft, purring 'purrr' from cerrado grassland; low, muffled churring; males perform wing-clapping display producing sharp snapping sounds; vocalizations otherwise quiet
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Geographic Range & Migration
White-winged Nightjar
Resident of campo cerrado grassland and open savanna in interior Brazil (Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais); rare and endangered.
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Conservation Status
White-winged Nightjar
Heinrich's Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
White-winged Nightjar
Male largely white on wings with dark brown body; white wing patches striking in flight; brown crown and back; white tail. Female cryptically mottled brown and buff; lacks white wings …
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
White-winged Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~50 g) of cerrado grasslands in central South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay). Males are almost entirely white; females cryptically brown. One of the most distinctive nightjars. Inhabits open grassland with scattered shrubs. Vulnerable from rapid cerrado agricultural conversion.
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.