Heinrich's Nightjar vs Short-tailed Nighthawk
Eurostopodus diabolicus compared with Lurocalis semitorquatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Heinrich's Nightjar | Short-tailed Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus diabolicus | Lurocalis semitorquatus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) | 80.7 g (2.85 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. | Aerial insectivore; hawks large beetles and moths at night over South American forest canopy and … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| 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
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Loud, frog-like 'wok' or 'bok' repeated at dusk; hollow resonant quality; calls from high canopy in flight; rapid series when excited; distinctive and far-carrying
Geographic Range & Migration
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Resident of lowland forest edge and open woodland from Mexico through Central America and tropical South America to Bolivia and Brazil.
Conservation Status
Heinrich's Nightjar
Short-tailed Nighthawk
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.
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Dark sooty-brown with buff and rufous spotting; rufous-spotted throat forms partial collar; short rounded tail barred dark brown and buff; lacks white wing bar; darker and more uniformly colored than …
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.
Short-tailed Nighthawk
A medium Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~81 g) of forest canopy edges and second growth across much of tropical South America and Central America. Dark brown plumage with a white throat patch. Flies swiftly above the canopy at dusk, catching insects. Rounded wings and very short tail are distinctive. Least Concern.