Whip-Poor-Will
417. Antrostomus vociferus. 9¾ inches
Male with broad white tips to outer tail feathers; female with narrow buffy tips. These birds are often confounded with the Nighthawk, but are very easily distinguished by the long bristles from the base of bill, the black chin, the chestnut and black barred wing feathers and the rounded tail. Whip-poor-wills are more nocturnal than Nighthawks and on moonlight nights continue the whistled repetition of their name throughout the night. They capture and devour a great many of the large-bodied moths that are found in the woods, but are never seen flying over cities like Nighthawks.
Note.—An emphatically whistled repetition of “whip-poor-will,” “whip-poor-will.”
Nest.—In June they lay two grayish or creamy white eggs (1.15 ×.85), mottled with pale brown, gray and lilac. These are deposited on the ground in woods.
Range.—East of the Plains, breeding from the Gulf to Manitoba and New Brunswick. Winters south of the United States.