Eastern Whip-poor-will

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a nocturnal woodland bird best known not for its appearance, which is a superbly camouflaged mottled mix of gray, brown, and black, but for its voice: a persistent, rhythmic "whip-poor-will" call repeated over and over on spring and summer nights, sometimes hundreds of times without pause. By day it rests silently on the forest floor or a low branch, its intricate plumage rendering it nearly invisible against leaf litter and bark.

Key Field Marks

• Cryptic mottled gray-brown-black plumage with fine barring
• Rounded wings and a fairly long, rounded tail with white outer tail feathers in males (buffy in females)
• Large dark eyes and a very small bill hiding an enormous gape
• Song: a fast, repetitive, whistled "whip-poor-WILL," often given many times in succession

Similar Species

• Mexican Whip-poor-will looks nearly identical but occurs in the mountains of the Southwest and has a slower, huskier song; the two were once considered the same species.
• Chuck-will's-widow is larger and warmer rufous-brown overall, with a slower, four-syllable song.

Habitat

Eastern Whip-poor-wills favor deciduous and mixed forests with an open understory, often near clearings, forest edges, or regenerating woodland where moths and other insects are abundant.

Range

They breed across the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, from the Great Lakes and New England south to the Gulf Coast states.

Migration

The species winters from the southeastern United States south through Mexico and Central America, and populations have been declining in many areas, likely linked to loss of open forest habitat and declining insect populations.

Behavior

This nightjar is almost entirely nocturnal, becoming active at dusk and hunting through the night, often timing peak activity to moonlit periods when insects are easier to see and catch.

Voice

The rhythmic, repeated "whip-poor-WILL" song is one of the most recognizable nighttime bird sounds in eastern North America, sometimes repeated for many minutes without interruption.

Feeding

Eastern Whip-poor-wills catch moths and other large flying insects on the wing, sallying out from a low perch or the ground and often foraging along forest edges and clearings.

Nesting

No nest is built; eggs are laid directly on leaf litter on the forest floor, timed in some populations to coincide with moon phases that provide extra light for late-night feeding of young.