Fortunate enough to be able to photograph an Eastern Whip-poor-will a couple days ago. As a Scouter I have been able to hear their beautiful call in the evenings at Attawandaron Scout Camp and the Pinery Provincial Park.
Eastern Whip-poor-wills are medium-sized birds with a large, rounded head and a stout chest that tapers to a long tail and wings, giving them a distinctly front-heavy look.
Like all nightjars, Eastern Whip-poor-wills are patterned with a complicated mottling of gray and brown, which camouflages them nearly perfectly with leaf litter or tree bark. They have a blackish throat bordered at the bottom by a neat, white bib. Males have white corners to the tail; on females, these spots are dull buff.
Eastern Whip-poor-wills are strictly nocturnal. At night they rest on the ground or perch horizontally on low trees and fly up to catch moths and other aerial insects. They chant their loud, namesake whip-poor-will song continuously on spring and summer evenings. During the day, Eastern Whip-poor-wills roost on the ground or on a tree limb and are very difficult to spot.
Look for Eastern Whip-poor-wills in eastern forests with open understories. They can be found in both purely deciduous and mixed deciduous-pine forests, often in areas with sandy soil. Cornell All About Birds
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