Spotted Nightjar vs Cayenne Nightjar
Eurostopodus argus compared with Setopagis maculosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spotted Nightjar | Cayenne Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus argus | Setopagis maculosa |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Data Deficient |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 102.5 g (3.62 oz) | 47.0 g (1.66 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … | Catches flying insects in aerial pursuit at night over South American forest and scrub. |
| 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
Cayenne Nightjar
Poorly known vocalizations; presumed churring trill based on genus; extremely rare recordings; distinct from other Setopagis by subtle tonal and rhythm differences
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
Known from a few specimens from French Guiana; possibly a rare resident of coastal forest and scrub; poorly known.
Conservation Status
Spotted Nightjar
Cayenne 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 …
Cayenne Nightjar
Brown and buff mottled above with dark vermiculations; pale buff below with darker barring; white throat patch in male; outer tail spots white; data deficient; known from only a handful …
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~47 g) from coastal French Guiana and adjacent Suriname. Known from only a handful of specimens; biology essentially unknown. Mottled brown plumage presumed cryptic in leaf litter. Presumed nocturnal insectivore. Data Deficient due to extreme rarity of confirmed records in the wild.