Spotted Nightjar vs Common Poorwill
Eurostopodus argus comparé à Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Spotted Nightjar | Common Poorwill |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Eurostopodus argus | Phalaenoptilus nuttallii |
| Ordre | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Caprimulgidae | Caprimulgidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 42,7 cm (16.8 in) | 28,8 cm (11.3 in) |
| Poids | 102,5 g (3.62 oz) | 46,45 g (1.64 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Aerial insectivore; hawks large moths, beetles, and flying insects at dusk and dawn over Australian … | Catches moths, beetles, and flying insects on short sallies near ground; only bird known to … |
| Taille de la couvée | 1 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Habitats partagés
Spotted Nightjar only
Common Poorwill only
Song & Call Comparison
Spotted Nightjar
Loud churring 'good-lord-deliver-us' repeated at dusk; melodic bubbling quality; also emits hollow 'cow-cow-cow' series and soft frog-like croaking
Common Poorwill
Clear, whistled 'poor-WILL' with burry quality; sometimes 'poor-will-ip'; carries well across desert scrub; may call thousands of times in a night; males very persistent
Geographic Range & Migration
Spotted Nightjar
Resident and partial migrant of open woodland, grassland, and scrub across mainland Australia and migrating to New Guinea and Indonesia in winter.
Common Poorwill
Resident of arid scrub, sagebrush, and chaparral in western North America from British Columbia south to central Mexico; only hibernating bird.
Statut de conservation
Spotted Nightjar
Common Poorwill
How to Tell Them Apart
Spotted Nightjar
Cryptically mottled grey-brown, rufous, and black with intricate vermiculations; distinctive large white spots on wing coverts; white throat patch; no white in wings or tail. Sexes similar with slight pattern …
Common Poorwill
Grey-brown and buff mottled with dark vermiculations; white throat patch bordered by dark collar; pale buff and dark barred underparts; white tips on outer tail feathers; no white wing patches; …
About These Birds
Spotted Nightjar
A medium Caprimulgidae nightjar (~103 g) of open woodland, spinifex grassland, and rocky ridges across mainland Australia. Intricately spotted and barred brown, grey, and buff. Cryptic by day on the ground among leaf litter. Crepuscular and nocturnal; feeds on flying insects caught in aerial pursuit. Least Concern.
Common Poorwill
A small Caprimulgidae nightjar (~46 g) of arid shrubland and rocky desert from southwestern Canada to central Mexico. The only bird known to enter true torpor for extended periods (weeks) as a winter survival strategy. Cryptic grey-brown plumage. Feeds on moths and beetles at night. Least Concern.