Antrostomus vociferus
The Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) is a master of camouflage, a medium-sized nocturnal bird measuring 24-28 cm (9.4-11.0 in) in length with a wingspan of 45-48 cm (17.7-18.9 in) and weighing 43-63 g (1.5-2.2 oz). Its plumage is a mottled blend of gray, brown, black, and buff, mimicking dead leaves and bark, allowing it to vanish against forest floors and branches. Distinctive field marks are elusive during the day, but at night, its loud, onomatopoeic "whip-poor-will" call is ...
Eastern Whip-poor-wills inhabit mature deciduous or mixed forests with open understories, clearings, and adjacent dense thickets for roosting. They prefer areas with pine barrens, oak woodlands, or other open-canopy forests that allow for aerial foraging.
The Eastern Whip-poor-will is an obligate aerial insectivore, primarily feeding on large moths and beetles, but also consuming caddisflies, mosquitoes, and other nocturnal flying insects, caught on the wing during low-light hours.
Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, the Eastern Whip-poor-will spends its days motionless, perfectly camouflaged on the forest floor or perched lengthwise on a branch. Foraging occurs after dusk and before dawn, involving swift aerial sallies from low perches or sustained low flight to hawk moth...
The Eastern Whip-poor-will breeds across eastern North America, from southeastern Canada (southern Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick) south through the eastern and central United States, reaching as far west as eastern Kansas and Oklahoma, and south to northern Georgia and Alabama. Its primary winte...
Near Threatened
- A single Eastern Whip-poor-will can repeat its distinctive call over 1,000 times without a pause, sometimes calling more than 200 times per minute. - Its name is a perfect onomatopoeia, directly mimicking its iconic song. - When roosting, it positions itself lengthwise along a branch or on the ...