Heinrich's Nightjar vs Pauraque
Eurostopodus diabolicus compared with Nyctidromus albicollis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Heinrich's Nightjar | Pauraque |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus diabolicus | Nyctidromus albicollis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) | 30.2 cm (11.9 in) |
| Weight | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) | 54.275 g (1.91 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; hawks moths, beetles, and flying insects over Neotropical forest edges and clearings. |
| 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
Pauraque
Loud, whistled 'wh-WHEER' or 'come-to-me'; clear melodic quality; rich, slurred whistle carrying through lowland forest; alarm a harsh bark; common sound at dusk
Geographic Range & Migration
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Pauraque
Widespread resident of open woodland, scrub, and forest edge from Texas (USA) south through Central America and tropical South America to Argentina.
Conservation Status
Heinrich's Nightjar
Pauraque
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.
Pauraque
Brown and rufous mottled above with dark vermiculations; white throat patch bordered by rufous; white outer tail feathers in male; white wing bar visible in flight. Female has buff outer …
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.
Pauraque
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~54 g) of forest edges, gardens, and open scrub from Texas south through Central and South America. Distinctively long tail with white outer rectrices; rufous facial patch. Highly vocal at night with loud repeated 'pur-WEE' calls. Feeds on moths and beetles. Least Concern.