Papuan Nightjar vs Collared Nightjar
Eurostopodus papuensis compared with Gactornis enarratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Papuan Nightjar | Collared Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus papuensis | Gactornis enarratus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) | 29.5 cm (11.6 in) |
| Weight | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) | 52.833333333333336 g (1.86 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in flight over Malagasy forest and forest edge. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Papuan Nightjar
Churring, repetitive nocturnal call; soft bubbling trill; melodic series of hollow notes; calls from low perch or ground in New Guinea lowland forest
Collared Nightjar
Soft, churring trill; gentle repeated 'trrr-trrr' at moderate pitch; quiet for a nightjar; calls from dense Madagascar forest undergrowth at dusk
Geographic Range & Migration
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
Collared Nightjar
Endemic to Madagascar; resident of moist eastern lowland and montane forest from sea level to 2,000 m.
Conservation Status
Papuan Nightjar
Collared Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Papuan Nightjar
Dark grey-brown finely vermiculated with buff and black; pale buff and rufous throat patch; pale supercilium; no white wing patches; tail barred brown and buff; cryptically patterned bark-mimicking plumage.
Collared Nightjar
Brown and rufous with dark brown vermiculations; distinctive rufous-orange collar across hindneck diagnostic; pale buff throat; spotted with buff on wing coverts; tail barred brown; Madagascar endemic nightjar.
About These Birds
Papuan Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~81 g) of lowland savanna, grassland, and forest edges across the southern lowlands of New Guinea. Cryptic buff-and-brown plumage; white-spotted wings visible in flight. Nocturnal aerial insectivore. Commonly heard at night but rarely seen by day. Least Concern.
Collared Nightjar
A small, beautifully patterned Caprimulgidae nightjar (~53 g) endemic to Madagascar. A pale collar separates the dark crown from streaked brown upperparts. Inhabits humid eastern rainforest and dry western woodland. Nocturnal; hunts insects in forest understorey. Seldom encountered; Least Concern on Madagascar.