Antillean Nighthawk vs Spot-tailed Nightjar

Chordeiles gundlachii verglichen mit Hydropsalis maculicaudus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Antillean Nighthawk Spot-tailed Nightjar
Wissenschaftlicher Name Chordeiles gundlachii Hydropsalis maculicaudus
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 34,2 cm (13.5 in) 25,8 cm (10.2 in)
Gewicht 56,05 g (1.98 oz) 32,125 g (1.13 oz)
Ernährung Catches flying insects in aerial sallies over Caribbean open country and coastal scrub at dusk. Catches flying insects in nocturnal aerial pursuit over Central and South American grassland.
Gelegegröße 1-2 1-2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

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Antillean Nighthawk only

Spot-tailed Nightjar only

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Song & Call Comparison

Antillean Nighthawk

Gesang

Distinctive 'kill-and-dee-dick' or 'killydee'; buzzy nasal call audible overhead; faster and shorter phrasing than Common Nighthawk; Caribbean accent clear

Spot-tailed Nightjar

Gesang

Soft, rhythmic churring; gentle 'trrr-trrr' from humid grassland; calls low from ground; quieter than most nightjars; alarm a subtle 'chek'; small and inconspicuous

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Geographic Range & Migration

Antillean Nighthawk

Breeds in the Caribbean (Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica) and Florida Keys; partially migratory within the Caribbean region.

Spot-tailed Nightjar

Resident of open cerrado, scrub, and forest edge in interior South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Antillean Nighthawk

Least Concern

Spot-tailed Nightjar

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How to Tell Them Apart

Antillean Nighthawk

Gefieder

Brown and buff mottled above with dark brown streaking; white throat patch in male; barred buff-white underparts; white wing bar across primaries; white tail band in male; female has buff …

Spot-tailed Nightjar

Gefieder

Small; brown and buff mottled above; pale buff below with dark barring; white throat in male; distinctive white spots on rounded tail distinguishing it from similar Hydropsalis; buff throat in …

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About These Birds

Antillean Nighthawk

A small Caprimulgidae nighthawk (~56 g) of open scrub, savannas, and coastal habitats in the Caribbean from Cuba and Hispaniola to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Very similar to the Common Nighthawk but separated by voice. Migratory; winters in South America. Aerial insectivore; Least Concern.

Spot-tailed Nightjar

A very small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~32 g) of open cerrado, llanos, and grass savanna in Central America and tropical South America. Named for white spots on the outer tail. Extremely secretive; roosts on the ground. Feeds on tiny insects at dusk and dawn. Less vocal than related species; Least Concern.

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