Archbold's Nightjar vs Scissor-tailed Nightjar
Eurostopodus archboldi compared with Hydropsalis torquata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Archbold's Nightjar | Scissor-tailed Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus archboldi | Hydropsalis torquata |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) | 36.8 cm (14.5 in) |
| Weight | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) | 54.625 g (1.93 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. | Catches moths, beetles, and flying insects in aerial sallies at night over South American savanna. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Archbold's Nightjar
Rarely recorded; presumed churring nocturnal song; low, resonant trilling typical of genus; vocalizations scarcely documented from highland New Guinea
Scissor-tailed Nightjar
Loud, clear churring 'quurrr'; repetitive at moderate pitch; calls from open cerrado at dusk; males call persistently from prominent perches; alarm a sharp 'chek'
Geographic Range & Migration
Archbold's Nightjar
Resident of montane forest in central New Guinea (Snow Mountains and Star Mountains) above 1,500 m; very poorly known.
Scissor-tailed Nightjar
Resident of open savanna, cerrado, and scrub from Colombia and Venezuela south through Brazil to Bolivia and northern Argentina.
Conservation Status
Archbold's Nightjar
Scissor-tailed Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Archbold's Nightjar
Brown and dark grey with rufous-buff vermiculations; whitish throat patch; pale buff supercilium contrasts with darker crown; no white wing or tail patches; tail barred; New Guinea highlands; few records.
Scissor-tailed Nightjar
Male with enormously elongated outer tail feathers to 25 cm forming scissors in flight; brown and buff mottled body; white throat; white wing spots. Female brown mottled with normal tail …
About These Birds
Archbold's Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~77 g) known from subalpine grasslands and forest margins in the interior mountains of New Guinea. Named after naturalist Richard Archbold. Cryptic brown-patterned plumage. Nocturnal insectivore. Infrequently observed; biology largely undescribed. Least Concern in its montane range.
Scissor-tailed Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~55 g) of open woodland, cerrado, and grassland in eastern and central South America. Males possess spectacularly long scissor-like outer tail feathers. Common around cattle pastures and agricultural land. Feeds on large moths and beetles at night. Least Concern across its broad range.