Pauraque vs Cayenne Nightjar
Nyctidromus albicollis compared with Setopagis maculosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Pauraque | Cayenne Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nyctidromus albicollis | Setopagis maculosa |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Data Deficient |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.2 cm (11.9 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 54.275 g (1.91 oz) | 47.0 g (1.66 oz) |
| Diet | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; hawks moths, beetles, and flying insects over Neotropical forest edges and clearings. | Catches flying insects in aerial pursuit at night over South American forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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
Cayenne Nightjar
Poorly known vocalizations; presumed churring trill based on genus; extremely rare recordings; distinct from other Setopagis by subtle tonal and rhythm differences
Geographic Range & Migration
Pauraque
Widespread resident of open woodland, scrub, and forest edge from Texas (USA) south through Central America and tropical South America to Argentina.
Cayenne Nightjar
Known from a few specimens from French Guiana; possibly a rare resident of coastal forest and scrub; poorly known.
Conservation Status
Pauraque
Cayenne Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
Cayenne Nightjar
Brown and buff mottled above with dark vermiculations; pale buff below with darker barring; white throat patch in male; outer tail spots white; data deficient; known from only a handful …
About These Birds
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.
Cayenne Nightjar
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~47 g) from coastal French Guiana and adjacent Suriname. Known from only a handful of specimens; biology essentially unknown. Mottled brown plumage presumed cryptic in leaf litter. Presumed nocturnal insectivore. Data Deficient due to extreme rarity of confirmed records in the wild.