NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Papuan Nightjar
Eurostopodus papuensis (Schlegel, 1866)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Papuan nightjar or Papuan eared-nightjar (Eurostopodus papuensis) is a species of nightjar in the family of Caprimulgidae. It is found in New Guinea and some surrounding islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. It is widespread, occurring across 1,210,000 km2, however its population is decreasing. Exact numbers are uncertain due to lack of data, but there is believed to be under 10,000 mature individuals (with a 10% decrease expected over the next decade mainly due to loss of tree cover, which it is heavily reliant on). Its diet consists mainly of insects.
Wikipedia contributors, Papuan nightjar; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:46:04.653332+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Eurostopodus papuensis (Schlegel, 1866)
- Name authority
- (Schlegel, 1866)
- Common name
- Papuan Nightjar
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Caprimulgidae
- Genus
- Eurostopodus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderCaprimulgiformes
- familyCaprimulgidae
- genusEurostopodus Gould, 1838
- speciesEurostopodus papuensis (Schlegel, 1866)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Eurostopodus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Spotted NightjarEurostopodus argus Hartert, 1892 | CaprimulgidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Satanic NightjarEurostopodus diabolicus Stresemann, 1931 | CaprimulgidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| New Caledonian NightjarEurostopodus exul Mayr, 1941 | CaprimulgidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-throated NightjarEurostopodus mystacalis (Temminck, 1826) | CaprimulgidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Archbold's NightjarEurostopodus archboldi (Mayr & Rand, 1935) | CaprimulgidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Solomons NightjarEurostopodus nigripennis E. P. Ramsay, 1882 | CaprimulgidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Caprimulgus papuensis Schlegel, 1866 Schlegel, 1866 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=555534 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3D2H9. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.