Band-tailed Nighthawk vs Cayenne Nightjar
Nyctiprogne leucopyga compared with Setopagis maculosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Band-tailed Nighthawk | Cayenne Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nyctiprogne leucopyga | Setopagis maculosa |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Data Deficient |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 24.7 g (0.87 oz) | 47.0 g (1.66 oz) |
| Diet | Hawks small to medium flying insects over South American rivers, lakes, and surrounding savanna at … | Catches flying insects in aerial pursuit at night over South American forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Band-tailed Nighthawk
Sharp, high 'chip-chip' notes; thin buzzy trills; calls over rivers at dusk; small size produces high-pitched thin vocalizations; often calls in flight
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
Band-tailed Nighthawk
Resident and nomadic along large rivers and in open savanna in tropical South America from Venezuela south to Bolivia, Brazil, and northern Argentina.
Cayenne Nightjar
Known from a few specimens from French Guiana; possibly a rare resident of coastal forest and scrub; poorly known.
Conservation Status
Band-tailed Nighthawk
Cayenne Nightjar
How to Tell Them Apart
Band-tailed Nighthawk
Small; dark brown above with buff speckles; pale buff below with dark brown barring; white tail band diagnostic at species level; white throat patch in male; no white wing bar; …
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
Band-tailed Nighthawk
A tiny Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~25 g) of tropical river margins and sandbar beaches in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Blackish brown with a white rump band; very small. Roosts on bare sand and low branches near water. Feeds on insects aerially at low elevations above rivers at dusk. 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.