Papuan Nightjar vs Pauraque
Eurostopodus papuensis compared with Nyctidromus albicollis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Papuan Nightjar | Pauraque |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus papuensis | Nyctidromus albicollis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) | 30.2 cm (11.9 in) |
| Weight | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) | 54.275 g (1.91 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. | 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
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
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
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
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
Papuan Nightjar
Pauraque
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.
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
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.
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.