Spotted Nightjar vs Todd's Nightjar
Eurostopodus argus compared with Setopagis heterura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spotted Nightjar | Todd's Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus argus | Setopagis heterura |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) | 36.5 g (1.29 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over South American savanna and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Spotted Nightjar only
Todd's 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
Todd's Nightjar
Rapid churring trill; nasal 'trrr-trrr' phrases repeated at dusk; calls from savanna and open woodland; poorly documented; higher-pitched than most Setopagis
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.
Todd's Nightjar
Resident of open woodland and savanna in Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, and the Guianas; also found in adjacent northern Brazil.
Conservation Status
Spotted Nightjar
Todd's 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 …
Todd's Nightjar
Brown and grey mottled with dark vermiculations; white throat patch in male; white spots on outer tail feathers in male; buff on throat and tail in female; 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.
Todd's Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~37 g) of open woodland and savanna in Trinidad and the Llanos of Venezuela and Colombia. Cryptically patterned brown-and-buff; white throat mark visible. Nocturnal; calls persistently at night. Feeds on flying insects. Similar to Spot-tailed but distinguished by call and range. Least Concern.