Whip-poor-wills are best known for the male?s whimsical call. But this once-common song is becoming increasingly rare in New Hampshire and biologists are working to find out why.
Whip-poor-wills are best known for the male?s whimsical call. But this once-common song is becoming increasingly rare in New Hampshire and biologists are working to find out why.
Hi, this is Iain MacLeod from New Hampshire Audubon, bringing you Something Wild.
Whip-poor-wills are found over much of eastern North America, where they inhabit dry open forests or forest edges. They arrive in New Hampshire at the end of April or early May and soon afterward, the female lays two eggs directly on the ground. The young hatch after 19-21 days, and remain in or near the nest for another three weeks before taking flight.
Whip-poor-wills are nocturnal. They capture food in flight at dawn or dusk, but will feed throughout the night when the moonlight is bright. They exclusively eat insects, mostly moths and beetles.
Since the early 1960s, there has been growing concern over the decline of whip-poor-wills in the Northeast. During a statewide survey in the 1980s, observers noted that they were hearing fewer whip-poor-wills. As a result of both population declines and associated concern about habitat loss, the whip-poor-will is now listed as a species of conservation concern in New Hampshire.
As a ground-nesting species, this bird is sensitive to increased predation, whether by natural or introduced species, such as the domestic cat. Large moths such as cecropias and sphinxes, an important food source, are also disappearing from our area. But the most serious threat to these shy birds is the ongoing development and other degradation of suitable habitat. Whip-poor-wills prefer to live in lowland river valleys and lake basins, the very same places that we prefer to live. And farmland, which once provided rich foraging areas for these birds, is also being lost to development. More study is needed to ensure that the song of the whip-poor-will is not lost from the state forever.
New Hampshire Audubon biologists need your help to monitor whip-poor-wills. If you hear this call <, please contact them at 603-224-9909.
Something Wild is a joint production of New Hampshire Audubon, New Hampshire Public Radio, and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
For Something Wild, I?m Iain MacLeod.
If you have a natural history question that you would like answered on Something Wild, email us at somethingwild@nhpr.org.
