Papuan Nightjar vs Least Poorwill
Eurostopodus papuensis compared with Siphonorhis brewsteri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Papuan Nightjar | Least Poorwill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus papuensis | Siphonorhis brewsteri |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.9 cm (14.9 in) | 22.7 cm (8.9 in) |
| Weight | 80.5 g (2.84 oz) | 44.0 g (1.55 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks large flying insects, especially moths, at night over Papuan forest and savanna. | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; catches small flying insects near ground over Hispaniolan dry scrub. |
| 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
Least Poorwill
Soft, melodic 'poor-will' whistle; gentle and repetitive; calls from dry scrub at night; higher-pitched than Common Poorwill; subtle and often overlooked
Geographic Range & Migration
Papuan Nightjar
Resident of savanna woodland, grass, and scrub in lowland New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
Least Poorwill
Endemic to Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic); resident of open dry forest and scrub; rare and sparsely distributed.
Conservation Status
Papuan Nightjar
Least Poorwill
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.
Least Poorwill
Small; brown and buff mottled with fine dark vermiculations; pale buff throat bordered by dark lateral spots; buff and dark barred tail; no white in wings or tail; male with …
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.
Least Poorwill
A small Caprimulgidae poorwill (~44 g) of dry scrub and thorn woodland in Hispaniola. Brown-and-buff cryptic plumage. Little studied; biology poorly known for this island endemic. Feeds on insects at night. Near Threatened owing to ongoing habitat degradation and deforestation on Hispaniola. Rarely encountered.