Eastern Whip-poor-will

The loud and incessant vocalizations from which the Eastern Whip-poor-will derives its name are difficult to miss. However, this nocturnal bird calls most consistently on nights when the moon is bright and high in the sky (Wilson and Watts 2006), a behavior which has helped guide the timing of surveys for the species. Termed an “aerial insectivore,” the Whip-poor-will consumes flying insects, which it typically chases down from a tree perch.

Breeding Distribution

Eastern Whip-poor-wills are found in all regions of the state but are most likely to occur in the western Coastal Plain, central and southern Piedmont, and the Cumberland Mountains (Figure 1). They are more likely to be found in blocks with greater forest cover and with a greater proportion of shrubland and grassland habitats, indicating a preference for a mix of habitats, and are negatively associated with development.

Between the First and Second Atlases (Figures 1 and 2), the Eastern Whip-poor-will’s breeding distribution contracted substantially within the Coastal Plain and northern Piedmont regions, and diminished in many areas of the Mountains and Valleys (Figure 3). The greatest stability was found in the central and southern Piedmont (Figure 3). These widespread decreases are consistent with the species’ population decline in the state (see Population Status section).

 

Breeding Evidence

Eastern Whip-poor-wills were confirmed breeders in nine blocks and eight counties (Albemarle, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Caroline, Pittsylvania, Rockingham, and Shenandoah) and found to be probable breeders in 51 additional counties (Figure 4). Breeding confirmations were few, due to the difficulty in observing Eastern Whip-poor-will breeding behavior at night and finding their highly camouflaged ground nests. The few observed nests were discovered when volunteers inadvertently flushed a bird that was on eggs or young.  Blocks with detections were evenly distributed throughout the state, with only modest gaps occurring in extreme southwestern Virginia, the northern Piedmont, and the southeastern Coastal Plain. The number and distribution of blocks with breeding evidence were similar between Atlases (Figure 5).

The earliest confirmation of breeding was of an occupied nest observed on May 21. Other breeding confirmations (eight in total) included observations of distractions displays (June 1 – July 4), nests with eggs (June 17 – July 8), and nests with young (May 29 – July 13) (Figure 6).

For more general information on the breeding habits of this species, please refer to All About Birds.

Population Status

Insufficient detections during the Atlas point count surveys prevented the development of an abundance model for the Eastern Whip-poor-will. The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) trend for Virginia estimated a significant decrease of 2.05% per year from 1966–2022 (Hostetler et al. 2023; Figure 6). Between the First and Second Atlas, BBS data showed a slightly stronger significant decrease of 3.08% per year from 1987–2018.

Conservation

While Eastern Whip-poor-wills remain common throughout their range, they have experienced a steady decline in Virginia and elsewhere. Because of this decline, the 2025 Wildlife Action Plan includes the Eastern Whip-poor-will as a Tier III (High Conservation Need) Species of Greatest Conservation Need (VDWR 2025).

Whip-poor-wills nest in deciduous and mixed forests with open understories (Cink et al. 2020). They may use a variety of additional open habitats for foraging, including nearby fallow fields, croplands, shrublands and regenerating pine stands (Wilson and Watts 2008). They can ultimately benefit from conservation, restoration, and management of forests with the appropriate degree of openness and with proximity to open habitats. Potential threats to such habitat conditions include the loss of shrubland and grasslands to human development, changes in farming practices, and forest regrowth (Cink et al. 2020; Tosa et al 2025). However, it is unknown whether the reasons for declines in the species are directly habitat-based or due to other causes, including human impacts on their insect prey base through land alterations and the use of pesticides (Tosa et al. 2025).

Further investigations are necessary and should include movement tracking studies to determine where Virginia birds overwinter, as a path toward assessing potential threats to their populations during the nonbreeding season. Volunteer participation in the Nightjar Survey Network (Tosa et al. 2025) should be encouraged to generate more accurate population trend information than what is currently provided by the BBS.

Interactive Map

The interactive map contains up to six Atlas layers (probability of occurrence for the First and Second Atlases, change in probability of occurrence between Atlases, breeding evidence for the First and Second Atlases, and abundance for the Second Atlas) that can be viewed one at a time. To view an Atlas map layer, mouse over the layer box in the upper left. County lines and physiographic regional boundaries (Mountains and Valleys, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain) can be turned on and off by checking or unchecking the box below the layer box. Within the map window, users can hover on a block to see its value for each layer and pan and zoom to see roads, towns, and other features of interest that are visible beneath a selected layer.

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References