Spotted Nightjar vs Pygmy Nightjar
Eurostopodus argus compared with Nyctipolus hirundinaceus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spotted Nightjar | Pygmy Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus argus | Nyctipolus hirundinaceus |
| 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) | 29.0 g (1.02 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … | Hawks small flying insects at night over Brazilian scrub (caatinga) and open forest. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| 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
Pygmy Nightjar
High, thin churring trill; rapid 'chi-chi-chi' series; tiny for a nightjar; high-pitched reedy quality; calls from caatinga scrub at dusk; contact a thin 'tsip'
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.
Pygmy Nightjar
Endemic to northeastern Brazil (Bahia, Pernambuco, Piauí); resident of caatinga scrub and dry woodland; very restricted range.
Conservation Status
Spotted Nightjar
Pygmy 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 …
Pygmy Nightjar
Tiny; brown and buff mottled above with rufous tones; pale buff below with brown barring; white throat patch in male; buff throat in female; no white wing markings; small white …
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.
Pygmy Nightjar
One of the smallest Caprimulgidae nightjars (~29 g), endemic to the caatinga and cerrado of eastern Brazil. Extremely tiny; pale buff and dark cryptic plumage. Roosts on sandy or stony ground. Named for its swift, swallow-like flight. Feeds on tiny insects at dusk. Least Concern in its open dry-land habitats.