Archbold's Nightjar vs Band-tailed Nighthawk
Eurostopodus archboldi compared with Nyctiprogne leucopyga
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Archbold's Nightjar | Band-tailed Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus archboldi | Nyctiprogne leucopyga |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) | 24.7 g (0.87 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. | Hawks small to medium flying insects over South American rivers, lakes, and surrounding savanna at … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Archbold's Nightjar
Rarely recorded; presumed churring nocturnal song; low, resonant trilling typical of genus; vocalizations scarcely documented from highland New Guinea
Band-tailed Nighthawk
Sharp, high 'chip-chip' notes; thin buzzy trills; calls over rivers at dusk; small size produces high-pitched thin vocalizations; often calls in flight
Geographic Range & Migration
Archbold's Nightjar
Resident of montane forest in central New Guinea (Snow Mountains and Star Mountains) above 1,500 m; very poorly known.
Band-tailed Nighthawk
Resident and nomadic along large rivers and in open savanna in tropical South America from Venezuela south to Bolivia, Brazil, and northern Argentina.
Conservation Status
Archbold's Nightjar
Band-tailed Nighthawk
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Band-tailed Nighthawk
Small; dark brown above with buff speckles; pale buff below with dark brown barring; white tail band diagnostic at species level; white throat patch in male; no white wing bar; …
About These Birds
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.
Band-tailed Nighthawk
A tiny Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~25 g) of tropical river margins and sandbar beaches in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Blackish brown with a white rump band; very small. Roosts on bare sand and low branches near water. Feeds on insects aerially at low elevations above rivers at dusk. Least Concern.