Chuck-will's-widow
Learn to identify the Chuck-will's-widow by ear. Master the "chuck-will's-WIDOW" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Chuck-will's-widow sounds like
A rich, rolling phrase repeated again and again, often from a hidden perch at dusk or in full darkness. It starts measured, then can tumble out for long stretches without a break.
How to tell it apart
Lessons featuring the Chuck-will's-widow
Ready to test your ear? Practice identifying the Chuck-will's-widow's sounds in this interactive in-app lesson.
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Where you'll hear it
Chuck-will's-widow breeds in the southeastern United States. Most head to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America for winter, though a few linger in the far south.
Look for it in open pine woods, oak scrub, sandy flatwoods, and brushy forest edges across the Southeast. It likes warm, dry places with patches of bare ground and a little space to hawk insects at night.
Spring and early summer are peak times to hear it, especially at dusk, dawn, and on moonlit nights. By day it stays nearly invisible, crouched motionless on the ground or along a low branch.
How to recognize it by sight
This big, ghosty nightjar melts into leaf litter by day and comes alive at dusk. On warm spring nights, its rolling chuck-will's-widow song can pour from pine woods for minutes at a time.
Similar species
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Smaller and slimmer overall.
Common Nighthawk
Long, pointed wings and a very different, angular flight style.
Mexican Whip-poor-will
Mostly a bird of the Southwest, so range helps a lot.