Freckled Nightjar vs Square-tailed Nightjar

Freckled Nightjar

Caprimulgus tristigma

Medium79 gRocky

The freckled nightjar is a large, powerfully-build species of nightjar with long wings and relatively short tails. They lack any prominent markings and appear dark gray or nearly black from a distance. At closer range, white, cinnamon, and pale buff freckling is visible on the upperparts of adults. Their underparts are typically dark brown with a whitish and cinnamon barring pattern. Their plumage provides excellent camouflage for rocky surfaces. They are sexually dimorphic. In flight, males have small white spots on the four outer primaries and their two outer tail feathers have white tips. Voice: This species sings in the early morning and evening, as well as on moonlit nights. The song can be variable but is typically in the form of a whistle consisting of two or three whow notes. It is typically repeated for 30 seconds or more at a time. From a distance, it may sound like a dog barking. The flight or threat call consists of two or three wock sounds delivered at a low frequency.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Simon J. Tonge · CC BY 3.0

Square-tailed Nightjar

Caprimulgus fossii

Small58 gForest

Voice: This bird's call is a prolonged churring, which alternates between a fast and slow pace roughly every second. As such it differs from the similar long-tailed and slender-tailed nightjars which produce fast and slow churrs respectively.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Finsch, Otto (1839-1917); Hartlaub, Gustav, (1814-1900) · Public domain

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Freckled Nightjar and Square-tailed Nightjar.