Chuck-will's-widow

Chuck-will's-widow

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Reproduction
7. Conservation Status
8. Other Names

A large nightjar of the southeastern United States, the Chuck-will's-widow is well known for its continous singing of its name at dusk.

Cool Facts

• The Chuck-will 's-widow hunts actively by flying low over the ground in search of insects. Occasionally, small birds and bats are included in its diet.

Description

• Size: 28-32 cm (11-13 in)
• Wingspan: 58-61 cm (23-24 in)
• Weight: 66-188 g (2.33-6.64 ounces)

• Medium-sized to large nocturnal bird.
• Large-headed with a tiny bill.
• Tiny feet (rarely seen).
• Very well camouflaged, colored in browns, black, and gray.
• In flight, long, rounded wings.
• Long, rounded tail.
• Brown throat.

Sex Differences

Sexes similar; male with white in tail, female without.

Immature

Similar to adult female.

Similar Species

• Whip-poor-will smaller and less brown, with a black, not brown throat.

Sound

Call a loud "Chuck-will's-widow," with the first "chuck" being quiet and inaudible at a distance.

Range

Range Map

© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

About the map

Summer Range

Breeds from southern Iowa, Ohio, and Long Island southward to Florida and eastern Texas.

Winter Range

Winters from southern Florida and central Mexico southward through Caribbean and Central America to South America.

Reproduction

Nest Type

No nest structure; eggs laid on ground or fallen leaves.

Nest Description

Evening-flying insects, especially moths and beetles.

Egg Description

White to gray, with variable dark markings.

Condition at Hatching

Downy, can move around.

Conservation Status

Eastern populations may be declining slightly.

Other Names

Engoulevent de Caroline (French)
Guabairo mayor, Tapacaminos carolinense, Tapacamino de paso, Guabairo Americano (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Straight, C. A., and R. J. Cooper. 2000. Chuck-will's-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis). In The Birds of North America, No. 499 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.