Species BirdsChuck-will's-widow

Chuck-will's-widow

Antrostomus carolinensis

CommonBird
Illustration of Chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis)

The Chuck-will's-widow is the largest nightjar in North America, a nocturnal insectivore of southern pine forests whose booming, four-syllable call — 'chuck-wills-widow' — reverberates through summer nights. Like all nightjars, it has a wide gape fringed with bristles that help funnel insects into its mouth during flight. It is so well camouflaged on the forest floor that it is virtually invisible when at rest.

Habitat
Pine forests, oak scrub, and wooded edges of the Southeast
Diet
Large moths, beetles, and occasionally small birds
How common
Common

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