Eastern Whip-poor-will…… Such a Musical Bird. On a cool summer’s morning while setting on my porch in the wee hours of the morning drinking my coffee, a lovely sound comes echoing through the trees. It’s the majestic “whip-poor-will” song sounding out throughout the morning fog. The call of this magical bird is like no other I have ever heard and can be heard for miles. I myself could listen to this nocturnal creature for hours. However, they only come out at night to feed on insects and are rarely seen in the day time. Some say the bird is becoming extinct, that is probably do to the fact they only lay eggs in the phases of the lunar cycle. The eggs will usually hatch around 10 days before a full moon. And it is amazing to me how once the babies hatch they start to move around so predators are confused. Also, sometimes the parents will kick the place the eggs hatch (they do not build nests they lay their eggs on the leaves of the forest floor, usually on the north or northeast side of a shrub, herb or sapling) to the side so predators will not know there was a nest, sometimes sending babies head over heels. I also think that it is interesting how the babies will molt all their baby plumage at only 8 days and grow in the adult camouflage plumage. At this time, the momma bird will leave the babies in the care of their father to go start another clutch nearby. The male, thinking he is intimidating like most do, will establish his territory by hovering over the boundaries and spreading his wings and tail feathers hissing, and basically throwing a fit. I can remember when I was little you could hear whip-poor-will’s all the time, however now I only have the pleasure of hearing this notorious bird a few times a year. That saddens me because I love the beautiful sound of the magical bird. Of course, some have stated they find them annoying and loud. I guess it is all in what you like and I like the harmonious sound of the whip-poor-will singing through the night air….. By: Carrie Nicholas
