Heinrich's Nightjar vs Pygmy Nightjar
Eurostopodus diabolicus compared with Nyctipolus hirundinaceus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Heinrich's Nightjar | Pygmy Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus diabolicus | Nyctipolus hirundinaceus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) | 24.8 cm (9.8 in) |
| Weight | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) | 29.0 g (1.02 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. | Hawks small flying insects at night over Brazilian scrub (caatinga) and open forest. |
| 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
Pygmy Nightjar
High, thin churring trill; rapid 'chi-chi-chi' series; tiny for a nightjar; high-pitched reedy quality; calls from caatinga scrub at dusk; contact a thin 'tsip'
Geographic Range & Migration
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Pygmy Nightjar
Endemic to northeastern Brazil (Bahia, Pernambuco, Piauí); resident of caatinga scrub and dry woodland; very restricted range.
Conservation Status
Heinrich's Nightjar
Pygmy 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.
Pygmy Nightjar
Tiny; brown and buff mottled above with rufous tones; pale buff below with brown barring; white throat patch in male; buff throat in female; no white wing markings; small white …
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.
Pygmy Nightjar
One of the smallest Caprimulgidae nightjars (~29 g), endemic to the caatinga and cerrado of eastern Brazil. Extremely tiny; pale buff and dark cryptic plumage. Roosts on sandy or stony ground. Named for its swift, swallow-like flight. Feeds on tiny insects at dusk. Least Concern in its open dry-land habitats.