Photo: DickDaniels (http://theworldbirds.org/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Nightjars & Allies

Chuck-will’s-widow

Antrostomus carolinensis

Chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) — Nightjars & Allies of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of Colombia Birds of Costa Rica Birds of Mexico Birds of the United States Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Ontario Birds of Quebec

By family

Nightjars of Colombia Nightjars of Costa Rica Nightjars of Mexico Nightjars of the United States

See what's near you right now

The Chuck-will’s-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 109 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Caprimulgidae Nightjars
Genus Antrostomus
Species carolinensis

Where it lives

Eastern USA

North America

Quick facts

Weight: 109 g
Diet: Invertebrate-eaters
Family: Caprimulgidae
Order: Caprimulgiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Spotted Nightjar

Eurostopodus argus

Critically Endangered

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Chuck-will’s-widow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open woodland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.

Migration

The Chuck-will’s-widow is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Chuck-will’s-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) is a species of bird in the Caprimulgidae family, part of the order Caprimulgiformes. It occurs naturally across North America. Its distribution covers NA e USA.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 109 g, with a wing length of about 20.8 cm and a tail of around 14.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.8 million km².

Songs & calls

Chuck-will’s-widow — Song

Recorded by Robert Dobbs Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Chuck-will’s-widow?

The Chuck-will’s-widow is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 109 g.

Where does the Chuck-will’s-widow live?

The Chuck-will’s-widow is found across North America with a range covering NA e USA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Chuck-will’s-widow belong to?

The Chuck-will’s-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.

What does the Chuck-will’s-widow eat?

The Chuck-will’s-widow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Chuck-will’s-widow migrate?

The Chuck-will’s-widow is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Chuck-will’s-widow endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Chuck-will’s-widow make?

1 real field recording of the Chuck-will’s-widow — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Chuck-will’s-widow's range?

The Chuck-will’s-widow has a mapped global range of about 1.8 million km².