Listen to the eastern whip-poor-will
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the eastern whip-poor-will
The eastern whip-poor-will is a bird in the family Caprimulgidae (order Caprimulgiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “near threatened”.
What does the eastern whip-poor-will sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
The recordings here are labelled as song. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus; also called "whip-o-will", "whip o' will", etc.) is a medium-sized (22–27 cm or 8.7–10.6 in) bird within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, from North America. The whip-poor-will is commonly heard within its range, but less often seen because of its camouflage. It is named onomatopoeically after its song.
More from the family Caprimulgidae
European nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeus
Common poorwill
Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
Common nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Indian nightjar
Caprimulgus asiaticus
Jungle nightjar
Caprimulgus indicus
Savanna nightjar
Caprimulgus affinis
Jerdon's nightjar
Caprimulgus atripennis
Pauraque
Nyctidromus albicollis
Fiery-necked nightjar
Caprimulgus pectoralis
Brown nightjar
Veles binotatus
Frequently asked questions
What does an eastern whip-poor-will sound like?
You can hear 5 recordings of the eastern whip-poor-will on this page, including its song. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the eastern whip-poor-will endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the eastern whip-poor-will as “near threatened”.
What family does the eastern whip-poor-will belong to?
The eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) belongs to the family Caprimulgidae in the order Caprimulgiformes.
Sources & credits
- Antrostomus vociferus - Eastern Whip-poor-will by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Fants Grove Wildlife Management Area, Anderson County… by Tom Austin – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · T.S. Roberts Bird Sanctuary, Hennepin, Minnesota, United… by Justin Watts – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Necedah Wildlife Refuge, United States by Justin Watts – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, Anoka, Minnesota… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1268205 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Eastern whip-poor-will – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Mykola Swarnyk – CC BY-SA 3.0