Heinrich's Nightjar vs Jamaican Poorwill
Eurostopodus diabolicus compared with Siphonorhis americana
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Heinrich's Nightjar | Jamaican Poorwill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus diabolicus | Siphonorhis americana |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.9 cm (15.7 in) | 27.0 cm (10.6 in) |
| Weight | 104.0 g (3.67 oz) | 55.4 g (1.95 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Sulawesi forest; poorly known. | Caught flying insects at night in Jamaican dry forest; presumed extinct since 19th century. |
| Clutch Size | 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
Jamaican Poorwill
Possibly extinct; historically described as soft 'wheep-wheep'; whistled, purring call from dry limestone forest; no modern recordings exist
Geographic Range & Migration
Heinrich's Nightjar
Endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia; resident of montane forest; extremely rare and poorly known, with very few records.
Jamaican Poorwill
Endemic to Jamaica; possibly extinct; known from historical specimens; no confirmed records since the 19th century.
Conservation Status
Heinrich's Nightjar
Jamaican 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.
Jamaican Poorwill
Brown and rufous mottled above with dark vermiculations; pale buff below with dark barring; white throat patch in male; buff and dark barred tail; no white wing patches. Closely resembles …
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.
Jamaican Poorwill
A medium Caprimulgidae poorwill (~55 g) endemic to Jamaica; possibly extinct or extremely rare. Last confirmed record in 1860; reported subsequently but never verified. Inhabited dry limestone scrub forest. Cryptic mottled plumage. Presumed nocturnal insectivore. Not currently evaluated by IUCN.