There are countless fables and legends about the Eastern whip-poor-will.
The omen of death.
A birder’s grim reaper.
But are they true?
Unlikely. But not impossible.
This bird is often heard, yet rarely seen. As such, we know surprisingly little about it.
On summer nights, especially when the moon is at its brightest, the call of the whip-poor-will can go on for what seems like an eternity. Enchanting to some, maddening to others.
This article will aim to explore all about the Eastern whip-poor-will, from its nesting behaviors to the legends that surround it.
Read on to discover more about the mysterious Eastern whip-poor-will.
Where are Eastern Whip-poor-wills Found?
Breeding Eastern whip-poor-wills are found throughout Eastern North America, from the Southern tips of Ontario and Quebec, to the Northern regions of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
They are found as far West as Missouri and Iowa.
The Eastern whip-poor-will breeds in dry deciduous or evergreen-deciduous forest with little or no underbrush, close to open areas.
In winter, Eastern Whip-poor-wills prefer broadleaf tropical or subtropical forest near open areas.
They are medium-distance migrants. In Fall, around late September and early November, the Eastern whip-poor-will migrates to Mexico and Central America for the winter.
How to Identify the Eastern Whip-poor-will?
Remember the classic childhood game Marco-Polo?
Well, trying to find the whip-poor-will is like playing Marco-Polo.
You can certainly hear them, but locating them is another story.
Markings
The Eastern whip-poor will is cryptically colored to look like bark or leaf litter. When they’re perched on a tree branch, they somehow become seamlessly integrated with the tree itself.
Their plumage is patterned with a series of grey and brown mottling, breaking up their body plan and aiding in near perfect camouflage.
Incredibly, it’s not just the color that the whip-poor-will imitates so well. It’s also the texture.
Their feathers are arranged in such a way that they look like bark.
Is it a whip-poor-will or is it a tree branch? You’ll never know. And that’s exactly what the whip-poor-will is after.
Afterall, for such a noisy bird, they need to remain inconspicuous to avoid unnecessary attention from predators.
Like owls and other nocturnal birds, the whip-poor-will has large eyes. They use these eyes like scopes, seeking out any flying insects.
Call
The name “whip-poor-will” comes directly from the sound this bird makes.
It’s an onomatopoeia – a word that phonetically imitates, or suggests, the sound that it describes.
You’ll notice the dashes between the names. This is to really emphasize the separate components of the call.
Whip-poor-will. Whip-poor-will. Whip-poor-will.
Say it enough times, and soon you’ll be mimicking the call of the whip-poor-will.
This distinct call is primarily used by males to establish territories.
And their voice has to be loud and distinct for good reason – some territories can exceed 27 acres! That’s a lot of space to cover and defend.
Behavior
Whip-poor-wills are related to nightjars. And, like all nightjars, the whip-poor-will is strictly nocturnal.
At night, you’re mostly likely to spot the whip-poor-will on the ground or perching horizontally on low trees.
They are insectivorous, and will perform a jump-like maneuver to catch moths and other aerial insects that stray too near.
But more on that shortly.
Throughout the night, mostly in spring and summer months, the whip-poor-will continuously sing their loud calls.
During the day, the whip-poor-will roosts on the ground or on a tree branch and are very difficult to spot. They keep their large eyes shut, further aiding in camouflage.
Hunting Technique of the Whip-Poor-Will
If you were to compare the appearance of a whip-poor-will with another non-related species, I guess you can say that they look somewhat similar to owls.
However, that’s where the similarities stop.
Whip-poor-wills have an incredibly unique hunting strategy that differs quite remarkably from owls.
Owls, as well as other predatory birds, typically dive-bomb their prey from above, often feet first.
The whip-poor-will, on the other hand, attacks from below – mouth first.
Eastern Whip-poor-wills feed exclusively on insects, especially flying insects, such as moths.
While perched on low-lying branches, or directly on the ground, they wait stealthily until prey is within striking range.
Launching themselves upwards, sometimes as high as 15 feet, and with their mouth agape, they swallow prey whole.
Two clever adaptations of whip-poor-wills make this hunting strategy possible:
1. Large Mouth
Although they have a small beak, their mouth more than compensates.
The mouth of the whip-poor-will has a large gape and is fringed with inch long bristles to help capture insects.
They can catch prey up to 2 inches, despite being just 10 inches themselves.
2. Large Eyes
At night their pupils of their scope-like eyes are fully dilated, giving them a bug-eyed appearance.
Their eyes also have a reflective structure behind the retina, tapetum lucidum, allowing them to see prey in low light conditions.
With a flashlight, humans can occasionally identify a whip-poor-will by the orange shine of their eyes.
Occasionally, the Eastern whip-poor-will forages around rotten logs and leaves for ants, caterpillars, beetles, worms, and other insects.
Nesting Behaviors of the Eastern Whip-Poor-Will
We’re using the term “nest construction” very, very loosely here.
Nest Construction
Eastern Whip-poor-wills are ground-nesting birds.
But again, I use this term loosely – whip-poor-wills don’t really create nests. At least, not the conventional nests of so many other bird species.
It doesn’t even try.
Females seem pretty content just to drop an egg or two on the ground.
And I mean quite literally on the ground. Fully exposed.
No concealment, no cover up.
Ah, the eggs must be expertly camouflaged then?
Not even close.
Whip-poor-will eggs are mostly white, with a few patches of blotched brown markings. Hardly a revelation in camouflage.
On dry leaves, a likely spot for females to “nest”, the eggs stand out like a sore thumb.
Predator Avoidance
But not all is lost.
If a predator manages to find these eggs, which is quite likely, considering how poorly they’re protected or camouflaged, adult Eastern whip-poor-wills are on standby with a nifty trick of deception.
To confuse predators, parents thrash on the ground with what appears to be a broken wing, diverting the predator further and further away from the ground-dwelling eggs.
Then, quite swiftly and far away from the eggs, the adult flies away.
Lunar Cycles
Whip-poor-wills sync their nesting cycles with the moon – a mystery to scientists.
Remarkably, most whip-poor-will eggs seem to hatch on, or close to, a full moon.
This could be a behavior that allows for easier hunting to feed newly hatched chicks for longer periods of time.
The Legends of the Whip-poor-will
Despite being rarely seen, the whip-poor-will has quite the reputation.
For some, the call of a whip-poor-will symbolises good luck. To others, it is an omen of death.
In fact, there is a story, written by James Thurber in 1941, about a man driven to murderous madness by the excessive calling of a whip-poor-will.
In the story, no one else can seem to hear the whip-poor-will. Each night, the bird calls until the man snaps and kills his wife and butler.
Whoever said romance is dead?
But this isn’t just a fable.
There are countless real-life stories of people driven to insomnia by the incessant calling of the whip-poor-will.
Their call is believed to be the whip-poor-will maliciously laughing at the soul they’re about to snatch.
Yet, to some, the call of the whip-poor-will is melodious and soothing.
It’s all about perceptions.
If you think their call is an omen of death, well, they’re terrifying.
But if you think the call is harmless, then you’ll see nothing but beauty in the call.
The whip-poor-will is steeped in culture and history. Native Americans, such as the mohegan and pequot tribes, believed the whip-poor-will to be benevolent.
In fact, these tribes used the same word for the whip-poor-will as they did for other benevolent spirits that could turn invisible: Makiawisug.
Final Thoughts
Despite being widespread, we know surprisingly little about the Eastern whip-poor-will.
Adult whip-poor-wills are expertly camouflaged to their surroundings. Their mottled colouration and stubby body mimics limbs of trees.
And while their camouflage means they’re hard to spot, their calls are near impossible to miss.
Their “whip-poor-will” song carries long into the summer nights, leading to a whole manner of myths and legends.
So, what do you think? Do you believe the whip-or-will to be an omen of death? Or are you lulled to sleep by their soothing calls?
