What a Funny Name

How did the whip-poor-will get its weird name? This bird’s loud call sounds like its name. In other words, when you hear this bird’s call you might think it’s saying, “whip-poor-will”. To hear the whip-poor-will’s call, go to the Boreal Songbird Initiative website and click on “listen”.

Eastern whip-poor-will	Photo: Simon Lunn

Would You Believe?

Imagine saying your name a 1,000 times in a row? The whip-poor-will loves to repeat itself. It calls “whip-poor-will” over and over again. In fact, ornithologists (scientists who study birds) once counted 1,088 consecutive calls from the whip-poor-will.

Threats to the whip poor will

• The whip-poor-will population has dropped by 30% in the past 10 years.
• Loss of habitat is the main threat to the species.
• Pesticides may harm the whip-poor-will because it feeds on insects that have come into contact with pesticides.

Strange but True

Most whip-poor-will chicks (babies) hatch just before a full moon. This allows the parents a little extra light by which to search for food. Why do the parents need extra light? Well, they need to find more food in order to feed the hungry chicks. The light makes the search for food a little easier.

The female lays one to two eggs in the leaves on the ground. The female and male share the job of incubating the eggs. During the day the female sits on the eggs and at night the male and female take turns.

Both the male and the female feed the chicks. Twenty days after the eggs hatch, the young whip-poor-wills are ready to be out on their own.

Whip-poor-will chick	Photo: Phil Myers

Master of Disguise

It’s almost impossible to spot the whip-poor-will because it really is a master of disguise. Its feathers are a blend of brown and grey – colours that blend with its environment. Whether resting in leaves or perched on a branch, the whip-poor-will is perfectly camouflaged.

A Simple Home

The whip-poor-will doesn’t have to do a lot of work to build its nest. This lucky bird simply has to find a bed of leaves on the floor of the forest - preferably tucked under a shrub or young tree.

On each side of the whip-poor-will’s bill are tiny bristles which help funnel insects into its mouth.	Photo: Simon Lunn

Do You Like Staying Up Late?

Everyone loves to stay up late every now and then. But can you imagine staying up at night and sleeping during the day – as a way of life? The whip-poor-will is crepuscular, meaning it is most active at dawn and at dusk and it is nocturnal, meaning it is active at night during periods of bright moonlight. During the day it sleeps on the ground or roosts on low branches of trees.

Night Hunter

As the sun sets, the whip-poor-will begins its hunt for insects. It doesn’t eat just any insects. It eats flying insects, including moths, beetles and mosquitoes. The whip-poor-will swoops down with its mouth open and grabs the insects in mid air. Though it’s a small bird, it has a large “gape” or mouth opening that allows it to catch lots of insects.

Some night hunters, such as owls, rely on their great hearing to help them hunt in the dark but the whip-poor- will, with its big eyes, hunts primarily by sight. So it makes sense that the best times for hunting are just as the sun is setting or rising or on nights with a very bright moon.

Boreal Birds at Risk

Over 300 different species of birds depend on Canada's boreal forest for all or part of their nesting grounds. The whip-poor-will relies on the boreal for about 6% of its North American breeding grounds.

What is the boreal forest? It's Canada's northernmost forest. Canada's boreal is part of a massive forest that wraps around the northern hemisphere of our planet and makes up approximately 1/3 of the earth's forests. Unfortunately, this great forest is under attack. Millions of acres are being cut each year and birds and other species are losing their habitat. To learn more, read about the Boreal Songbird Initiative.

How Can We Help the Whip-poor-will?

1. Many people are pushing to reduce or stop the use of pesticides in agriculture and forestry. We can all keep our own lawns pesticide free. Remember, the whip- poor-will needs nice healthy insects to eat!!
2. One great way to help threatened bird species is by joining a bird count. What's a bird count? If you have 15 minutes you can help by counting birds in your backyard or in a park. Just click here for information on the Great Backyard Bird Count.
3. One of the most important things people can do to help protect birds is to protect their habitat. We need to let our government know that we care about wild areas.