Spotted Nightjar vs Scrub Nightjar
Eurostopodus argus compared with Nyctidromus anthonyi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spotted Nightjar | Scrub Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus argus | Nyctidromus anthonyi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) | 24.8 cm (9.8 in) |
| Weight | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) | 36.2 g (1.28 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … | Catches flying insects in nocturnal aerial sallies over arid scrub of Ecuador and Peru. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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
Scrub Nightjar
Whistled churring phrases; melodic 'pweer-pweer' series; similar to Pauraque but drier and less rich; calls from scrubby desert at night; contact a soft 'chuck'
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.
Scrub Nightjar
Resident of arid scrub, dry woodland, and coastal zones in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru.
Conservation Status
Spotted Nightjar
Scrub 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 …
Scrub Nightjar
Pale sandy-brown with fine dark brown vermiculations; white throat patch; white outer tail feathers in male; no white wing bar; smaller and paler overall than Pauraque; buff outer tail in …
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.
Scrub Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~36 g) of arid coastal scrub and thorn-scrub in southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Pale sandy-buff and brown plumage suits its xeric habitat. Closely related to the Pauraque but smaller and paler. Nocturnal insectivore; calls at dusk. Least Concern in its limited range.