What does the Eastern Whip-poor-will song sound like?

Antrostomus vociferus

Song Uncommon

Play the real Eastern Whip-poor-will song, the "WHIP-poor-WILL, WHIP-poor-WILL…", and learn what to listen for.

“WHIP-poor-WILL, WHIP-poor-WILL…”

What the Eastern Whip-poor-will song sounds like

A clear, rhythmic three-syllable phrase repeated tirelessly, often hundreds of times in succession on warm, moonlit nights.

“WHIP-poor-WILL, WHIP-poor-WILL…”

Birders often file this one under Territorial Song.

How to find the bird singing it

Open understory portions of deciduous and mixed forests, especially near woodland edges, clearings, and pine barrens that provide unobstructed aerial foraging lanes at dusk and dawn.

Cryptic Plumage: Complex marbling of grays, browns, and blacks provides perfect camouflage against dead leaves.
Broad, Bristled Gape: Tiny bill opens to an oversized mouth bordered by whisker-like rictal bristles that funnel insects in flight.
Buffy Neck Collar: Pale buff or whitish band across the throat; males show a clean white band, females more buff-toned.

When you'll hear it

Breeding

Territorial males sing persistently at dusk, night, and dawn from mid-spring through midsummer.

Migration

Quiet and largely silent while traveling; often detected only by eye-shine along remote roads.

Non-breeding

Winters in tropical lowlands where it forages in semi-open forests and plantations.

Don’t confuse it with

Birds whose song gets mistaken for this one. Play them back to back.

Chuck-will's-widow

Larger overall and heavier-bodied.

Eastern Whip-poor-will song FAQ

What does an Eastern Whip-poor-will song sound like?

A clear, rhythmic three-syllable phrase repeated tirelessly, often hundreds of times in succession on warm, moonlit nights. Birders write it as "WHIP-poor-WILL, WHIP-poor-WILL…".

How do I tell an Eastern Whip-poor-will from a Chuck-will's-widow by ear?

Chuck-will's-widow: Larger overall and heavier-bodied.; Song is slower and lower-pitched: "chuck-WILL's-widow"..

When is the best time to hear the Eastern Whip-poor-will song?

Arrives on breeding territories from late April to May; peak singing May–July. South-bound migration begins in August, with most gone by early October. Winters quietly in tropical forests.

More Eastern Whip-poor-will sounds

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