Spotted Nightjar vs White-tailed Nightjar
Eurostopodus argus compared with Hydropsalis cayennensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spotted Nightjar | White-tailed Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus argus | Hydropsalis cayennensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) | 27.3 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) | 35.75 g (1.26 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths, beetles, and flying insects at night over South American open and … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Spotted Nightjar only
White-tailed Nightjar only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Spotted Nightjar
Loud churring 'good-lord-deliver-us' repeated at dusk; melodic bubbling quality; also emits hollow 'cow-cow-cow' series and soft frog-like croaking
White-tailed Nightjar
Rapid, whirring trill; 'churrrr' repeated with nasal quality; calls from open savanna and grassland at dusk; alarm a sharp bark; males display low over ground
Geographic Range & Migration
Spotted Nightjar
Resident and partial migrant of open woodland, grassland, and scrub across mainland Australia and migrating to New Guinea and Indonesia in winter.
White-tailed Nightjar
Resident of open savanna and forest edge from Costa Rica through Colombia and Venezuela to the Guianas and northern Brazil; also Caribbean islands.
Conservation Status
Spotted Nightjar
White-tailed Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Spotted Nightjar
Cryptically mottled grey-brown, rufous, and black with intricate vermiculations; distinctive large white spots on wing coverts; white throat patch; no white in wings or tail. Sexes similar with slight pattern …
White-tailed Nightjar
Male brown and grey mottled; white outer tail feathers diagnostic; white throat; small white wing spots; female has buff outer tail feathers and lacks white wing spots; scrubby savanna habitats.
About These Birds
Spotted Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~103 g) of open woodland, spinifex grassland, and rocky ridges across mainland Australia. Intricately spotted and barred brown, grey, and buff. Cryptic by day on the ground among leaf litter. Crepuscular and nocturnal; feeds on flying insects caught in aerial pursuit. Least Concern.
White-tailed Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~36 g) of open grassland, coastal savanna, and dry scrub from Panama through northern South America to Trinidad. Males show conspicuous white outer tail feathers. Roosts on bare ground or low branches by day. Feeds on insects at dusk. Adaptable to lightly degraded habitat; Least Concern.