What does the Chuck-will's-widow sound like at night?
Press play. If that is the sound outside, you have your answer — the Chuck-will's-widow's "chuck-will's-WIDOW".
What you're hearing
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.
“chuck-will's-WIDOW”
Birders often file this one under Territorial song.
What time of night you hear it
Dusk and through the night, loudest on moonlit nights, late spring through summer.
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.
Why a Chuck-will's-widow calls at night
The southern counterpart to the whip-poor-will, and it also chants its name — a lower, burrier, four-syllable phrase. It is the biggest of the North American nightjars and the sound carries an astonishing distance across warm southern woods.
What else could it be?
The other voices you are most likely to hear in the dark. Play them and compare.