Archbold's Nightjar vs Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Eurostopodus archboldi compared with Systellura decussata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Archbold's Nightjar | Lesser Band-winged Nightjar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eurostopodus archboldi | Systellura decussata |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) | 26.6 cm (10.5 in) |
| Weight | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) | 31.833333333333332 g (1.12 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore; catches moths and beetles in nocturnal flight over New Guinea montane forest. | Hawks flying insects at night over Andean and coastal scrub of Peru and northern Chile. |
| 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
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Soft 'tyuk' phrases; lighter and higher than Greater Band-winged; gentle churring trill; calls from Pacific coastal scrub at dusk; thin, reedy alarm note
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.
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Resident of desert scrub, rocky hillsides, and coastal pampas in Peru and northern Chile; closely associated with arid Pacific slope.
Conservation Status
Archbold's Nightjar
Lesser Band-winged 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.
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
Smaller than Greater Band-winged; brown and buff mottled with dark vermiculations; white wing bar across primaries; white throat in male; buff throat in female; white outer tail spots in male; …
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.
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar
A very small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~32 g) of coastal desert scrub and rocky slopes in Peru and northern Chile. Pale-buffy with fine vermiculations and a paler wing band. Restricted to very arid Pacific-slope habitats. Nocturnal; feeds on small insects. Little studied; Least Concern in its specialised desert range.