Mexican Whip-poor-will
Mexican Whip-poor-will
Antrostomus arizonae
At a Glance
In mountain forests of the southwest, this shy nightbird is fairly common in summer. Until recently, it was considered to belong to the same species as the Eastern Whip-poor-will; its voice has a similar pattern, but a rougher and lower tone quality.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Upland Ground Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Behavior
Flap/Glide
Population
190.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Present in the U.S. only in summer, but probably a permanent resident farther south in Mexico.
Description
10" (25 cm). Camouflaged in mottled brown in gray. In flight, wingtips are broadly rounded, unlike the pointed wings of nighthawks. Longer tail than Common Poorwill. Separated from Eastern Whip-poor-will by range. Compare to Buff-collared Nightjar.
Size
About the size of a Robin
Wing Shape
Long, Rounded
Tail Shape
Long, Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
A loud, rhythmic whip-poor-will, repeated over and over, at night.
Call Pattern
Falling, Undulating
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Whistle
Habitat
Pine-oak woods in mountains. Breeds in woodland in mountains and canyons, mostly in the pine-oak zone at middle elevations, sometimes higher.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Mexican Whip-poor-will
Behavior
Eggs
2. Whitish, either unmarked or very lightly marked with brown. Incubation is by both parents (usually more by female), 19-21 days.
Young
Cared for by both parents. Adults feed young by regurgitating insects. Age of young at first flight about 20 days.
Feeding Behavior
Forages at night, especially at dusk and dawn and on moonlit nights. Forages by flying out from a perch in a tree, or in low, continuous flight along the edges of woods and clearings; sometimes by fluttering up from the ground. Captures insects in its wide, gaping mouth and swallows them whole.
Diet
Insects. Feeds on night-flying insects, especially moths, also beetles, mosquitoes, and many others.
Nesting
Male sings at night to defend territory and to attract a mate. Courtship behavior not well known; male approaches female on ground with much head-bobbing, bowing, and sidling about. Nest site is on ground, in woods but often near the edge of a clearing, on open soil covered with dead leaves or pine needles. No nest built, eggs laid on flat ground.
Climate Vulnerability
Conservation Status
Still fairly common in its limited U.S. range.