Heinrich's Nightjar vs Spot-tailed Nightjar
Eurostopodus diabolicus compared with Hydropsalis maculicaudus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Heinrich's Nightjar | Spot-tailed Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus diabolicus | Hydropsalis maculicaudus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) | 25.8 cm (10.2 in) |
| Weight | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) | 32.125 g (1.13 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. | Catches flying insects in nocturnal aerial pursuit over Central and South American grassland. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Heinrich's Nightjar
Haunting, hollow 'ku-WOO' repeated rhythmically; deep resonant quality; distinctive mournful whistle carrying through Sulawesi forest at night
Spot-tailed Nightjar
Soft, rhythmic churring; gentle 'trrr-trrr' from humid grassland; calls low from ground; quieter than most nightjars; alarm a subtle 'chek'; small and inconspicuous
Geographic Range & Migration
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Spot-tailed Nightjar
Resident of open cerrado, scrub, and forest edge in interior South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Conservation Status
Heinrich's Nightjar
Spot-tailed Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Heinrich's Nightjar
Rufous-brown and dark brown mottled with buff vermiculations; large pale buff throat patch; pale buff supercilium; no white wing markings; tail darkly barred brown and buff. Poorly known; Sulawesi endemic.
Spot-tailed Nightjar
Small; brown and buff mottled above; pale buff below with dark barring; white throat in male; distinctive white spots on rounded tail distinguishing it from similar Hydropsalis; buff throat in …
About These Birds
Heinrich's Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~104 g) endemic to the forest and forest-edge habitats of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Cryptically patterned brown-and-buff. Nocturnal insectivore; catches moths and beetles in aerial sallies. Little studied and rarely encountered in the field. Least Concern within its Sulawesi range.
Spot-tailed Nightjar
A very small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~32 g) of open cerrado, llanos, and grass savanna in Central America and tropical South America. Named for white spots on the outer tail. Extremely secretive; roosts on the ground. Feeds on tiny insects at dusk and dawn. Less vocal than related species; Least Concern.