Archbold's Nightjar vs Jamaican Poorwill
Eurostopodus archboldi compared with Siphonorhis americana
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Archbold's Nightjar | Jamaican Poorwill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus archboldi | Siphonorhis americana |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) | 27.0 cm (10.6 in) |
| Weight | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) | 55.4 g (1.95 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. | Caught flying insects at night in Jamaican dry forest; presumed extinct since 19th century. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | -- |
| 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
Jamaican Poorwill
Possibly extinct; historically described as soft 'wheep-wheep'; whistled, purring call from dry limestone forest; no modern recordings exist
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.
Jamaican Poorwill
Endemic to Jamaica; possibly extinct; known from historical specimens; no confirmed records since the 19th century.
Conservation Status
Archbold's Nightjar
Jamaican Poorwill
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.
Jamaican Poorwill
Brown and rufous mottled above with dark vermiculations; pale buff below with dark barring; white throat patch in male; buff and dark barred tail; no white wing patches. Closely resembles …
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.
Jamaican Poorwill
A medium Caprimulgidae poorwill (~55 g) endemic to Jamaica; possibly extinct or extremely rare. Last confirmed record in 1860; reported subsequently but never verified. Inhabited dry limestone scrub forest. Cryptic mottled plumage. Presumed nocturnal insectivore. Not currently evaluated by IUCN.