Antrostomus arizonae
The Mexican Whip-poor-will, *Antrostomus arizonae*, is a cryptic nocturnal bird of the nightjar family (Caprimulgidae), renowned for its distinctive, repetitive call that gives it its name. Measuring approximately 24-27 cm (9.4-10.6 in) in length with a wingspan of 45-50 cm (17.7-19.7 in) and weighing 40-60 g (1.4-2.1 oz), its plumage is a marvel of camouflage, a mottled tapestry of grays, browns, blacks, and rufous tones, allowing it to vanish against forest leaf litter or tree bark. Males s...
Found primarily in dry to semi-humid open woodlands, favoring pine-oak, juniper-oak, and riparian forests, often on rocky hillsides. Typically inhabits elevations between 1,000-3,000 meters (3,300-9,800 feet).
Exclusively insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of nocturnal flying insects, predominantly large moths, beetles, and occasionally mosquitoes and true bugs, captured in flight with its wide mouth.
Strictly nocturnal and crepuscular, the Mexican Whip-poor-will spends its days silently roosting on the ground amidst leaf litter or perched horizontally on low tree branches, its cryptic plumage making it virtually invisible. Foraging occurs primarily after sunset and before sunrise, with birds ...
The Mexican Whip-poor-will's breeding range extends from the southwestern United States, specifically southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and western Texas, southward through much of Mexico. Within Mexico, it breeds extensively along the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Orienta...
Least Concern
- A male Mexican Whip-poor-will can repeat its 'whip-poor-will' call hundreds of times without a pause, sometimes over 1,000 times in an hour. - Its wide gape and prominent rictal bristles (stiff feathers around the mouth) act like a net to scoop up flying insects. - During the day, its mottled p...