The Chuck Will’s Widow and the whippoorwill are two very similar species of nightjars (family Caprimulgidae) found in North America. They are often confused with each other, but they are separate species with some key differences.
Quick Answers
– The Chuck Will’s Widow and whippoorwill are two closely related species of nightjars found in North America.
– They look very similar but have different vocalizations and slightly different ranges.
– The Chuck Will’s Widow is named for its call which sounds like “Chuck Will’s widow.” The whippoorwill’s call sounds like “whippoorwill.”
– The Chuck Will’s Widow is found in the southeastern United States while the whippoorwill has a wider range across eastern North America.
– The two birds occupy similar habitats and have similar behaviors, but the Chuck Will’s Widow tends to prefer more open, drier pine forests.
What are Nightjars?
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds in the family Caprimulgidae. There are over 100 species found worldwide. In the Americas, nightjars are also known as “goatsuckers” – a misnomer that comes from the ancient folk tale that they drank milk from goats at night.
More than half of all nightjar species are found in the New World. Several species occur in North America including the common nighthawk, common poorwill, Chuck-will’s-widow, and eastern whippoorwill.
Nightjars have long wings, soft plumage, and cryptic coloring that allows them to blend into their surroundings when roosting during the day. They have small, weak feet and very large mouths allowing them to catch insects on the wing at night.
They make their nests on the ground, typically laying just two eggs. The incubation and care of young is carried out by the female. Nightjars are elusive and more often heard than seen.
Range and Habitat
The Chuck Will’s Widow has a range centered in the southeastern United States. Its breeding range extends from southern Virginia, west to Texas and south to Florida and the Gulf Coast. It migrates to wintering grounds in Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
The whippoorwill has a broader range across eastern North America. Its breeding range extends west to the Great Plains, north to southern Canada, and south along the Atlantic coast to Florida. It migrates short distances to the southern U.S. for winter.
Species | Breeding Range | Wintering Range |
---|---|---|
Chuck Will’s Widow | Southeastern U.S. from southern Virginia to Texas | Florida, Mexico, Caribbean |
Whippoorwill | Eastern U.S. and Canada from Great Plains to Atlantic Canada | Southern U.S. |
Both species occupy similar forest and edge habitats during the breeding season. The Chuck Will’s Widow favors pine forests, oak savannas, and drier woodland areas. The whippoorwill is more associated with moist, deciduous forests.
Physical Description
The Chuck Will’s Widow and whippoorwill share the typical nightjar body shape – cryptic plumage, long wings, short legs, and a very large mouth. However, they can be distinguished from each other by careful observation.
Some key differences include:
- The Chuck Will’s Widow is slightly larger with a stockier body and shorter tail.
- The Chuck Will’s Widow has rufous plumage on the wings, tail, and throat while the whippoorwill is more gray.
- The most noticeable difference is the much more boldly patterned white tips of the outer tail feathers in the Chuck Will’s Widow compared to the whippoorwill.
Trait | Chuck Will’s Widow | Whippoorwill |
---|---|---|
Length | 12.5 – 13.5 in | 9 – 11 in |
Wingspan | 21 – 24 in | 17 – 20 in |
Plumage color | Rufous | Gray |
Tail pattern | Bold white tips | Faint white tips |
These differences in plumage and structure can help identify the birds when seen well, but they still look very similar in the field. The best way to distinguish them is by sound.
Voice
The vocalizations of the Chuck Will’s Widow and whippoorwill are distinct and easily separable.
The Chuck Will’s Widow’s most common call is a loud “Chuck Will’s widow” that rises and falls in pitch. This is the call that gives the bird its name.
You can listen to the Chuck Will’s Widow’s call via this link:
[link to Chuck Will’s Widow call audio]
The whippoorwill’s familiar call is a loud, rhythmic “whippoorwill” repeated multiple times. The first “whip” is accented and higher pitched.
You can listen to the whippoorwill call via this link:
[link to whippoorwill call audio]
By learning these distinct vocalizations, birders can confidently identify Chuck Will’s Widows and whippoorwills even when the birds are hidden in vegetation or only heard at night.
Behavior
The Chuck Will’s Widow and whippoorwill share similar general behaviors in keeping with their roles as nocturnal insectivores.
During the day, they roost on the ground, scrunched lengthwise along a branch or log. Their camouflage makes them very difficult to spot when roosting.
At dusk they become active, taking short sallies from perches to hawk insects in flight. Their large mouths allow them to scoop up insects on the wing.
Courtship activities occur at dusk and into the night. The primary courtship behavior is their resonant vocalizations, advertising territory and attracting mates.
Nesting takes place from May to July. No real nest is built – the two eggs are simply laid on the leaf litter of the forest floor in a small depression. The female incubates the eggs and cares for the young while the male continues to guard his territory and forage.
Both species migrate at night in late summer and early fall. Their wintering habitats and behaviors are poorly known because they are less vocal and active in winter.
Differences in Behavior
While very similar, some subtle behavioral differences have been noted between the Chuck Will’s Widow and whippoorwill:
- The Chuck Will’s Widow tends to prefer more open pine forests while the whippoorwill uses more dense deciduous and mixed forests.
- Chuck Will’s Widows often perch and call from dead snags while whippoorwills prefer live tree branches.
- Whippoorwills are more likely to forage by hovering/sallying than Chuck Will’s Widows which more often hawk insects from an open perch.
- Chuck Will’s Widows migrate further distances compared to the more short-distance movements of whippoorwills.
Overall the behaviors are very similar – not surprising given their close evolutionary relationship and ecological roles. Only through close observation can some subtle differences be detected between these cryptic nightjars.
Relationship and Taxonomy
The Chuck Will’s Widow and whippoorwill were once considered a single species – the whippoorwill. In 1941 it was determined that the southeastern birds were a distinct species based on differences in vocalizations and morphology.
Scientists proposed naming the new species the “Chuck-will’s-widow” based on its distinctive call. Over time the common name became condensed to Chuck Will’s Widow.
The two species are now classified in the nightjar family Caprimulgidae:
- Whippoorwill – Antrostomus vociferus
- Chuck Will’s Widow – Antrostomus carolinensis
DNA analysis has shown the Chuck Will’s Widow and whippoorwill to be each other’s closest relatives. Some taxonomic authorities place them both in the genus Caprimulgus rather than Antrostomus, but this is still debated.
Within the order Caprimulgiformes, their next closest relative is believed to be the buff-collared nightjar of South America.
Other nightjars found in North America such as the common nighthawk, common poorwill, and Mexican whippoorwill are more distantly related.
Conservation Status
Neither the Chuck Will’s Widow or whippoorwill are considered globally threatened species. They have large ranges and populations, but face some local habitat pressures.
Whippoorwills appear to be declining in parts of their range, particularly the northeastern United States and Ontario. Causes are believed to habitat loss on the breeding grounds and pesticide exposure on wintering grounds.
The Chuck Will’s Widow is also declining in some regions such as Texas. Ongoing habitat loss is a threat, particularly conversion of pine and oak forests to agriculture or development.
Both species may also be threatened by predation from increasing suburban cat populations. Collisions with vehicles and towers are other known sources of mortality.
More research is needed into specific population trends and threats across the ranges of these cryptic species. Maintaining large tracts of breeding habitat will be key to their continued survival.
Conclusion
In summary, while the Chuck Will’s Widow and whippoorwill appear nearly identical, they are separate species as evidenced by their distinct vocalizations, ranges, and subtle physical differences.
Being nocturnal and secretive, nightjars like these are challenging to study and conserve. Protecting their forest habitats and better understanding causes of mortality are important steps to ensure stable future populations of both these whip-poor-will clan members.
With careful listening, birders can learn to distinguish the resonant “Chuck Will’s widow” call from the repetitive “whippoorwill” call and confidently distinguish these two birds by sound alone.