Eastern Whip-Poor-Will

What is a Whippoorwill?  Officially, it’s an Eastern Whip-poor-will and its latin name is Antrostomus vociferus. It lives in North America. Their preferred habitat is leafy woodlands, moist forests, and deciduous woodlands. The Eastern Whip-poor-will (also referred to as a Whippoorwill bird) breeds through May and June. They winter in southern parts. Their population is nearly threatened. The Eastern Whip-poor-will can be found at Coal Creek Farm from late February through early August.

What does a Whippoorwill sound like? The male Whippoorwill sound (also referred to as a Whippoorwill call or Whippoorwill song) is an emphatic, chanted whip-poor-will, sometimes repeated for hours on end. Their diet consists of mostly insects, especially moths, beetles, mosquitoes, and many others. At dusk, they fly over livestock to feed on insects that swarm over the animals. What does a Whippoorwill look like? They are medium-sized birds with a large, rounded head and a stout chest that tapers to a long tail and wings, giving them a distinctly front-heavy look.