Papuan Nightjar vs Bahian Nighthawk
Eurostopodus papuensis compared with Nyctiprogne vielliardi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Papuan Nightjar | Bahian Nighthawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus papuensis | Nyctiprogne vielliardi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) | 25.4 cm (10.0 in) |
| Weight | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) | 41.0 g (1.45 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. | Aerial insectivore foraging over Brazilian rocky rivers and adjacent savanna; poorly known. |
| 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
Bahian Nighthawk
Thin, buzzy trilling call over Brazilian rivers; high-pitched 'tzeee-tzeee' series; calls in low flight over water; similar to Band-tailed but higher and sharper
Geographic Range & Migration
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
Bahian Nighthawk
Endemic to northeastern Brazil (Bahia state); resident of open woodland and gallery forest along rivers; rare and localised.
Conservation Status
Papuan Nightjar
Bahian Nighthawk
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.
Bahian Nighthawk
Dark brown with buff and rufous speckles above; pale buff below with brown barring; white tail band; male with white throat patch; no white wing bar; recently described species from …
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.
Bahian Nighthawk
A small Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~41 g) of the São Francisco River valley in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Closely related to the Band-tailed Nighthawk; restricted to riverine habitats with open sandy banks. Roosts and forages near rocky rivers. Diet consists of small flying insects. Least Concern.