whippoorwill

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Whip-poor-will
Adult male
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Subclass:	Neornithes
Infraclass:	Neognathae
(unranked):	Cypselomorphae
Order:	Caprimulgiformes
Family:	Caprimulgidae
Subfamily:	Caprimulginae
Genus:	Caprimulgus
Species:	C. vociferus
Binomial name
Caprimulgus vociferus Wilson, 1812

The Whip-poor-will or Whippoorwill, Caprimulgus vociferus, is a medium-sized (22–27 cm) nightjar from North and Central America. The Whip-poor-will is commonly heard within its range, but less often seen. It is named onomatopoeically after its call[1].

This bird is sometimes confused^[1] with the related Chuck-will's-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) which has a similar but lower-pitched and slower call.

Adults have mottled plumage: the upperparts are grey, black and brown; the lower parts are grey and black. They have a very short bill and a black throat. Males have a white patch below the throat and white tips on the outer tail feathers; in the female, these parts are light brown.

Ecology

Their habitat is deciduous or mixed woods across southeastern Canada, eastern and southwestern United States, and Central America. Northern birds migrate to the southeastern United States and south to Central America. Central American races are largely resident. These birds forage at night, catching insects in flight, and normally sleep during the day. Whip-poor-wills nest on the ground, in shaded locations among dead leaves, and usually lay two eggs at a time. The bird will commonly remain on the nest unless almost stepped upon.

The Whip-poor-will is becoming locally rare. Larry Penny has recorded a 97% decline since 1983 in New York state^{[citation needed]}. Several reasons for the decline are proposed, like habitat destruction, predation by feral cats and dogs, and poisoning by insecticides, but the actual causes remain elusive.^[2] Still, the species as a whole is not considered globally threatened due to its huge range.^[3]

Cultural references

Due to the haunting, ethereal song, the Whip-poor-will is the topic of numerous legends and is frequently used as an auditory symbol of rural America. One New England legend says the Whip-poor-will can sense a soul departing, and can capture it as it flees. This is used as a plot device in H. P. Lovecraft's story The Dunwich Horror. This is likely related to an earlier Native American and general American folk belief that the singing of the birds is a death omen.^[4] The bird is mentioned in the Hank Williams song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and in the song "Magnolia" by J J Cale on his 1971 album Naturally. It is also mentioned in Alan Jackson's "I Still Like Balogna" in addition to Randy Travis's "Deeper Than The Holler", M. Ward's "Sad, Sad Song" and Elton John's 1975 number-one hit "Philadelphia Freedom".

Footnotes

• BirdLife International (BLI) (2004). Caprimulgus vociferus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 6 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Henninger, W.F. (1906): A preliminary list of the birds of Seneca County, Ohio. Wilson Bull. 18(2): 47–60. DjVu fulltext PDF fulltext
• Massachusetts Whip-poor-will Project (MWP) (2008): Why are They Declining? Retrieved 2008-FEB-14.

External links

• Whip-poor-will Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Whip-poor-will - Caprimulgus vociferus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
• Whip-poor-will Information – South Dakota Birds and Birding
• Whippoorwill