Spotted Nightjar vs Choco Poorwill
Eurostopodus argus compared with Nyctiphrynus rosenbergi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spotted Nightjar | Choco Poorwill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus argus | Nyctiphrynus rosenbergi |
| 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) | 49.65 g (1.75 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and small insects in flight over Pacific Chocó forest. |
| 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
Choco Poorwill
Soft, purring 'poor-will' whistle; gentle repetitive phrases from humid Pacific forest; calls from low perch at night; higher and thinner than Common Poorwill
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.
Choco Poorwill
Resident of lowland Pacific rainforest and forest edge in northwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador (Chocó region).
Conservation Status
Spotted Nightjar
Choco Poorwill
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 …
Choco Poorwill
Brown and rufous mottled above with dark vermiculations; pale buff below with brown barring; white throat patch in male; small white spots on outer tail in male; no white wing …
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.
Choco Poorwill
A small Caprimulgidae poorwill (~50 g) of humid lowland and foothill rainforest in the Choco region of Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. Mottled brown-and-buff plumage blends with forest floor. Secretive nocturnal insectivore; rarely seen. Calls with a repeated whistled note. Least Concern in its humid forest habitat.