Eastern whip-poor-will facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastern whip-poor-will |
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| Adult male | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Antrostomus
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| Species: |
vociferus
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| Synonyms | |
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Caprimulgus vociferus Wilson, 1812 |
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The eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) is a medium-sized (22–27 cm) nightjar from North America. The whip-poor-will is commonly heard within its range, but less often seen because of its camouflage. It is named onomatopoeically after its song.
Description
This medium-sized nightjar measures 22–27 cm (8.7–10.6 in) in length, spans 45–50 cm (18–20 in) across the wings and weighs 42–69 g (1.5–2.4 oz). Further standard measurements are a wing chord of 14.7 to 16.9 cm (5.8 to 6.7 in), a tail of 10.5 to 12.8 cm (4.1 to 5.0 in), a bill of 1 to 1.4 cm (0.39 to 0.55 in) and a tarsus of 1.5 to 1.8 cm (0.59 to 0.71 in). 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.
This bird is sometimes confused with the related chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) which has a similar but lower-pitched and slower call.
Ecology
Eastern whip-poor-wills breed in deciduous or mixed woods across central and southeastern Canada and the eastern United States, and migrate to the southeastern United States and to eastern Mexico and Central America for the winter. These birds forage at night, catching insects in flight, and normally sleep during the day. Eastern 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 eastern whip-poor-will is becoming locally rare. Several reasons for the decline are proposed, such as loss of early successional forest habitat, habitat destruction, predation by feral cats and dogs, and poisoning by insecticides, but the actual causes remain elusive. Even with local populations endangered, the species as a whole is not considered globally threatened due to its large range.
The whip-poor-will has been split into two species. Eastern populations are now referred to as the eastern whip-poor-will. The disjunct population in southwestern United States and Mexico is now referred to as the Mexican whip-poor-will, Antrostomus arizonae. The two populations were split based on range, different vocalizations, different egg coloration, and DNA sequencing showing differentiation.
Conservation
In 2017, the eastern whip-poor-will was uplisted from least concern to near threatened on the IUCN Red List, on the basis that based on citizen science observations, populations of the eastern whip-poor-will had declined by over 60% between 1970 and 2014. This decline is likely due to decreased forest disturbance and early successional forest habitat, pesticides and intensified agriculture, both of which have led to heavy declines in the flying insect populations that the eastern whip-poor-will depends on, as well as habitat loss. BirdLife International has stated that initiatives like the Conservation Reserve Program will be crucial in conserving the species and reversing its decline.
Images for kids
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A rarely-seen Eastern Whip-poor-will by day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
See also
In Spanish: Chotacabras cuerporruín para niños
