Photo: Louis Agassiz Fuertes / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Nightjars & Allies

Eastern Whip-poor-will

Antrostomus vociferus

Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) — Nightjars & Allies of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of Costa Rica Birds of Mexico Birds of the United States Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Ontario Birds of Prince Edward Island Birds of Quebec

By family

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

See what's near you right now

The Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) is a member of the Caprimulgidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 53.3 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 vociferus

Where it lives

South-central, southeastern Canada and east-central, eastern USA

North America

Quick facts

Weight: 53.3 g
Diet: Invertebrate-eaters
Family: Caprimulgidae
Order: Caprimulgiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Montane Nightjar

Caprimulgus poliocephalus

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.

Migration

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) is a species of bird in the Caprimulgidae family, part of the order Caprimulgiformes. It is found across North America. Its distribution covers NA sc, se Canada and ec, e USA.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 53.3 g, with a wing length of about 15.4 cm and a tail of around 11.4 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.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.4 million km².

Songs & calls

Eastern Whip-poor-will — Song

Recorded by Valerie Heemstra Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Eastern Whip-poor-will?

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 53.3 g.

Where does the Eastern Whip-poor-will live?

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is found across North America with a range covering NA sc, se Canada and ec, e USA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Eastern Whip-poor-will belong to?

The Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) belongs to the Caprimulgidae family, in the order Caprimulgiformes.

What does the Eastern Whip-poor-will eat?

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Eastern Whip-poor-will migrate?

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Eastern Whip-poor-will 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 Eastern Whip-poor-will make?

1 real field recording of the Eastern Whip-poor-will — 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 Eastern Whip-poor-will's range?

The Eastern Whip-poor-will has a mapped global range of about 3.4 million km².