Eastern Whip-poor-will

Even seasoned field ornithologists sometimes struggle to find the Eastern Whip-poor-will, which is more frequently heard than seen. The “WHIP-poor-WILL” sound of this species is well-known, and it has contributed to the identification of its breeding region. Despite this, little is known about its breeding biology, the first documented nests for Oklahoma and South Dakota were discovered in 1980 and 1994, respectively!

About Eastern Whip-poor-wills

This is a gorgeous cryptic bird, but because of its well-camouflaged eggs and young, crepuscular, or nocturnal feeding and breeding activity, and huge wooded territory, it is one of North America’s least studied breeding species. The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a ground-nesting species that lays its 2-egg clutch directly on the forest floor’s leaf litter. During the day, adults remain motionless on the nest or at a roosting place, becoming active only at dusk. Eastern Whip-poor-wills feed primarily at dawn and sunset, although on starry nights, they may gather moths, beetles, and other insects all night long.

The Eastern Whip-poor-will’s biology is still largely unknown. The majority of what we know about its behavior, physiology, and ecology comes from anecdotal evidence. However, evidence on single-pair breeding biology from New York, Ontario, Quebec, and Iowa has aided in the description of nest sites, incubation and brooding behavior, young development, and vocalizations.

● Eastern Whip-poor-wills Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Eastern Whip-poor-wills Size, Eating behavior, Habitat

● Eastern Whip-poor-wills Range and Migration, Nesting

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Eastern Whip-poor-will Color Pattern

It has a buff barred brown belly that darkens to a blackish-brown at the top of the breast. The Eastern Whip-poor-will has a white band across the lower throat, with black on the upper throat and a blackish breast below. The wings are greyish brown, dotted and speckled tawny, and buff wing-coverts. Both males and females have brown wings that have tawny speckles with blackish patches across the scapulars when in flight.

Description and Identification

The bird is a medium-sized Nightjar, measuring 22–26 centimeters in length and weighing 43.0–63.7 grams. It features a huge, flattened head with large eyes and eyelashes on the lids, as well as a short bill surrounded by long, unbranched rictal bristles. The feet are tiny, with a pectinate inner side to the middle-toe claw. It has a rounded tail and wings, and its plumage is greyish brown with blackish brown streaks and large blackish stripes on the crown.

Eastern Whip-poor-willSong

The related Chuck-will’s-widow, which has a similar but lower-pitched and slower call, is occasionally confused with this species. Most vocalizations are similar to those made by other caprimulgids, particularly in the Mexican Whip-poor-will. The song of this species is smooth, mellow, and mainly unmodulated, with an incessant “whip-poor-will” function. The pitch ranges from 1.5 kHz at the beginning to roughly 3 kHz at the pinnacle of the “will,” and the song lasts about 0.6 seconds. When the bird says its name, three notes are plainly discernible, and a fourth introduction cluck can be heard at close range.

There are a few species in the range that sound similar. Chuck-will’s-widow’s song is a slightly lower-pitch, with a characteristic up-down-cadence that creates a unique impact. The song of the Mexican Whip-poor-will (which only occasionally overlaps with this species during the breeding season) is remarkably similar to that of this species, but it is more modulated, giving it a burry feel.

Eastern Whip-poor-will Size

This medium-sized Nightjar is 22–27 centimeters long, with a wingspan of 45–50 centimeters and a weight of 42–69 grams. A wing chord of 14.7-16.9 centimeters, a tail of 10.5-12.8 centimeters, a beak of 1-1.4 centimeters, and a tarsus of 1.5-1.8 centimeters are also common measures. Adults have mottled plumage with grey, black, and brown upperparts, and grey and black lower parts. Their beak is noticeably short, and their throat is black. Males have a white patch below the throat and white tips on the outer tail feathers, females have light brown versions of similar features.

Eastern Whip-poor-will Behavior

The bird’s legs are not particularly long. Individuals approach the nest with a waddling posture after landing adjacent to it. Short hops of roughly 0.5 meters are possible for the bird. When the mother leaves the nest, the nestlings may easily hop or run for short distances (1 m). The Eastern Whip-poor-will glides silently through or above the canopy or close to the ground. Usually flaps wings numerous times before gliding, often spinning approximately 180 degrees. Can fly nearly vertically in pursuit of a flying insect before gliding back to a tree branch to perch.

Individuals give quirt Calls of increased intensity and at more regular intervals when threatened or when an intruder approaches a favorite forage tree on the overwintering grounds, grading into frequent bouts of growling and hissing, typically accented with wing-clapping. During these interactions, the territorial owner frequently fluffs up feathers, raises wings, and opens his jaws.

The male investigates intruders near the nest by executing the tail-flashing display. The body, in this case, is nearly vertical, hovering in place (1–3 m), tail maximally spread, and displaying white in rectrices. Although hovering near nests is typical, it has also been observed in roosting birds and during courtship.

Males establish territories by vigorously pushing off rivals at the start of the breeding season. This appears to be maintained through active calling from regular stations on the outskirts of the region. They also patrol from one station to the next in a systematic manner. Territories in Kansas ranged in size from 2.8-11.1 hectares. The average size of the birds’ territories was approximate 5.1 hectares.

Anecdotal accounts by 3 authors present 3 different versions of the event, all 3 of which were observed on the same evening in Kansas. Strutting on the ground with wings and tail outspread and head lowered, a female might attract the attention of a male perched above her. Females may rock from side to side as they walk, circling in one way then the other and making a guttural chuckle (soft popping sound) when they do so. Males may reply by approaching the female on the ground (or along a tree branch or downed log), lifting, and lowering his body in an “undulating” fashion.

Eastern Whip-poor-will Diet

At dusk and morning, as well as during moonlit times of night, there is a frenzy of feeding. It begins roughly 30 minutes after dusk and lasts as long as there is enough light. Weather affects feeding, as they do not forage in cold, rainy weather. The length of the foraging time during the dark of night varies from 0% to 100%, depending on the amount of moonlight and, most likely, the abundance of flying insects. Feeding in the morning starts around the first light and ends about 40 minutes before sunrise. The feeding pattern of the bird is similar to that of the Common Poorwill.

Typically, the bird forages by sallying for insects from tree perches or from the ground. Because of the huge distances covered during foraging, the bird may undertake more hawking (foraging during extended flights) than seen. Occasionally hunts decaying logs and leaves for ants, caterpillars, beetles, worms, and other insects, according to reports.

The bird hits the vegetation at the top of the canopy with its wings, scaring moths away, which they capture by swooping fast aloft and then gliding back down to the canopy. Insects get caught in the vast gape of a big, cavernous mouth. This allows them to swallow insects of up to 50 millimeters in length.

Eastern Whip-poor-will Habitat

It prefers dry deciduous or mixed woodlands with little to no undergrowth. Forest composition appears to be less essential than the degree of openness in the understory. This bird lives in pine-oak forests with a lot of juniper near the southern edge of the Canadian Shield in Ontario. Large pine plantations also have pockets of breeding birds.

Parts of the breeding range overlap with that of the Common Nighthawk and Chuck-will’s-widow. The Common Nighthawk, unlike the Eastern Whip-poor-will, prefers open habitats such as city roofs, low brushy open land, dry washes and riverbeds, sandy flats, and agricultural fields. Eastern Whip-poor-will outnumbers Chuck-will’s-widows at higher elevations in Arkansas‘ Outcheat and Ozark mountains. However, the relationship is reversed at lower elevations, especially along river bottoms.

Range and Migration

This species is difficult to detect unless males vocalize. In the spring and fall, the routes north and south appear to be mostly overland, passing via Mexico and Central America. Only as vagrants in western Cuba and Jamaica, and as a very uncommon vagrant in Bermuda, do migrants arrive in the Caribbean. During migration, loose flocks may form. Up to 30 people were flushed from cedar thickets near Pt. Pelee, Ontario.

Eastern Whip-poor-will Lifecycle

The young double their body mass in around 4 days after hatching, and then double it again in another 4 days. The weight of the first-hatched young is 1.6 grams more than the weight of the second-hatched young. Nestmates (2 young) grow weight in uneven amounts over the first 10 days, which could be related to unbalanced food distribution. Sheaths of flight feathers form on day four. On day 6, rectrices sheaths (longest primary sheaths 12–15 mm), spinal pteryla, and rictal bristles develop. Day 8, ventral and lateral pteryla appear, as well as crown and neck feathers. On day ten, the principal sheaths open to a depth of around 25 millimeters. The upper wing covert feathers open on day 12. On day 14, the majority of body feather sheaths open, and the feathers appear “well-feathered.”

On day 16, some chicks can fly short distances with ease; their longest primaries are 65 millimeters long and their rectrices are 30 millimeters long. Young chicks appear to be ectothermic, unable to regulate their body temperature on their own. They tremble when their parents flush from their nests on frigid mornings (CLC). There is no information on activities or sibling rivalry.

Nesting

There is not a lot of data on nesting patterns. It is unclear which sex selects the nesting place. Males and females roost and wander around their territory together for several weeks before they build their nests. Females can then be flushed from their ultimate nest site 1–2 days before the first egg is laid. The bird does not use any nesting material. Leaf litter is where they lay the eggs. Short herbaceous plants, shrubs, and young trees provide partial shade to most nests. To give shelter from the scorching afternoon heat, it nests on the north or northeast side of the plant’s stem and foliage. As the weight of incubating adults pushes leaves down in the middle, a tiny hole may form.

It is possible that they reuse locations between years. For example, the Kansas population has 25 out of 50 sites that were not disturbed by a human investigator were used again the following year. 12 nests were utilized for three years in a row, and four nests were used for four years in a row.

Incubation occurs in both sexes. However, they don’t divide time evenly and it varies between pairs. When the male and female swap incubation duties starting at twilight and lasting until dawn, they expose eggs for brief periods of time. Furthermore, the arriving male may have a white patch on his throat, which may aid in recognition.

During incubation, the parents stay put and do not leave the nest until the intruder is at least 1 meter away. With more time invested in incubation, it is less likely to flush. Most of the time, they fly away, but every now and then they make a display, which is most likely a nest distraction display. Adults flush closer to the nest as the time spent incubating grows, and the intensity of the display increases. After eggs are spread during flushing, egg retrieval is common, and at least some examples of moving eggs may involve comparable tugging actions of the eggs with the bill.

Anatomy of anEastern Whip-poor-will

Eastern Whip-poor-wills have a large, rounded head and a robust chest that tapers to a long tail and wings, giving them a decidedly front-heavy appearance. The size of this bird can be described as that between a Robin and a Crow.

Final Thoughts

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is an eclectic bird that is easily confused with the Chuck Will’s Willow. The bird is difficult to spot due to its behavior and nesting patterns. However, it is important to keep your ears open and listen to the call of the bird. Keep an eye on the trees and the ground for any possible eggs. Now is the time to step into nature and admire one of the best-camouflaged birds in North America.

Ornithology

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