The Lonesome Whip-poor-will

The elusive Whip-poor-will. (Courtesy: Lloyd Spitalnik)

SFX: Whip-poor-will call.

Whip-poor-will. Like phoebe, and chick-a-dee-dee-dee, the name means as much to the ears as the eyes. More common in the past, old-timers especially remember the call on moonlit summer nights. Likely they don’t remember much else about the bird. Its nocturnal habits and supreme camouflage ensures that it is seldom seen.

Imagine a forest floor covered with fallen leaves. Now use a pencil, an imaginary one, to draw the outline of a bird sitting on the ground, about the size of a robin. Don’t color it in – you don’t need to, for the whip-poor-will is colored like the forest floor. In New Hampshire the species favors dry, open or disturbed low elevation forest.

The abandonment of New Hampshire’s farms in the early 1900’s may partly explain the long-term decline of the whip-poor-will. Many fields and clearings, over which the birds forage, have been reclaimed by forest or lost to development. Cats, raccoons, and skunks, never far behind people, are also bad news for ground nesters.

You can still hear the Whip-poor-will’s iconic call where suitable habitat exists. The best time to listen is when the moon is full. Perhaps bright moonlit nights helps the adults catch more insects for hungry babies. The north branch of the Piscataquog River and the Ossipee Pine Barrens in particular host healthy populations. And if you have one calling near you, New Hampshire Audubon would like to hear from you.