Heinrich's Nightjar vs Yucatan Poorwill
Eurostopodus diabolicus compared with Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Heinrich's Nightjar | Yucatan Poorwill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus diabolicus | Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) | 21.8 cm (8.6 in) |
| Weight | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) | 24.5 g (0.86 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles at night over Yucatan Peninsula dry forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 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
Yucatan Poorwill
Thin, whistled 'poor-will'; high and reedy for a nightjar; calls from dry Yucatan scrub at dusk; small size reflected in lighter, thinner call quality
Geographic Range & Migration
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Yucatan Poorwill
Resident of lowland tropical forest and scrub in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize, and northern Guatemala.
Conservation Status
Heinrich's Nightjar
Yucatan Poorwill
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.
Yucatan Poorwill
Pale sandy-brown and buff mottled above; pale buff below with dark barring; white throat in male; no ear tufts unlike Eared Poorwill; small white outer tail spots; restricted to Yucatan …
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.
Yucatan Poorwill
A tiny Caprimulgidae poorwill (~25 g) of dry scrub and thorn forest on the Yucatan Peninsula and adjacent Belize. One of the smallest poorwills. Brown-and-buff finely vermiculated plumage. Roosts on the ground amid leaf litter. Nocturnal insectivore, taking tiny moths and beetles. Least Concern within its restricted range.