Eurostopodus

Taxonomy

The genus Eurostopodus was introduced in 1838 by the English ornithologist John Gould in his book A Synopsis of the Birds of Australia, and the Adjacent Islands. Gould listed two species in the genus but did not specify the type. In 1840 George Gray designated the type as Caprimulgus guttatus Vigors & Horsfield, 1827. This is a junior synonym of Caprimulgus mystacalis Temminck, 1826, the white-throated nightjar. The genus name Eurostopodus is derived from the Ancient Greek ευρωστος/eurōstos meaning "strong" or "stout" and πους/pous, ποδος/podos meaning "foot".

The following cladogram is based on a phylogenetic study by Jenna McCullough and collaborators published in 2025.