Chuck-will's-widow

Chuck-will's-widow
Chuck-will's-widow
Adult male (upper right) and female (lower left)
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Subclass: Neornithes
Infraclass: Neognathae
(unranked): Cypselomorphae
Order: Caprimulgiformes
Family: Caprimulgidae
Subfamily: Caprimulginae
Genus: Caprimulgus
Species: C. carolinensis
Binomial name
Caprimulgus carolinensis
Gmelin, 1789
Synonyms

Antrostomus carolinensis

The Chuck-will's-widow, Caprimulgus carolinensis is a nocturnal bird of the nightjar family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the southeastern United States near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods. It migrates to the West Indies, Central America, and northwestern South America.

This bird is sometimes confused with the Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus),[1] due to the peculiar and somewhat similar names. Though rather closely related, they are two distinct species.

A fairly generic nightjar, it has mottled brownish underparts, a buff throat, reddish-brown feathers lined with black, and brown and white patterning on head and chest, differing from the gray and black of its more common cousin. Males have patches of white on their outer tail feathers. Its size ranges from 11 to 13 inches (28 to 33 cm) long with a 25 inch (62 cm) wingspan, large for a nightjar and like all of them with a short bill and long tail.

Its common name derives from its continuous, repetitive song that is often heard at night. This consist of a series of calls with a vibrating middle note between two shorter notes, not much shifting in pitch. It is slower, lower-pitched and less piercing than the song of the Whip-poor-will. "Chuckwuts-widow" is another common name less often found, but also imitating the rhythm of the bird's calls.

It eats primarily insects, particular those active at night such as moths, beetles, and winged ants. It will also eat small birds, swallowing them whole.[2][3]

Females do not build nests, but rather lay eggs on patches of dead leaves on the ground. The eggs, which are pink with spots of brown and lavender, are subsequently incubated by the female.

Footnotes

  1. ^ For example, Henninger (1906) combines the old scientific name of C. carolinensis with the common name "Whip-poor-will". As C. carolinensis does not occur in the area discussed, he obviously refers to C. vociferus. In other cases, the specific identity of birds may not be determinable.
  2. ^ Owre, Oscar (September 1967). "Predation by the Chuck-will’s-widow upon migrating warblers". Wilson Bulletin 79 (3): 342. http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v079n03/p0342-p0342.pdf. 
  3. ^ Thayer, Gerald H (1899). "The Chuck-will's-widow on Shipboard". The Auk 16 (3): 273–276. http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v016n03/p0273-p0276.pdf. 

References

  • BirdLife International (2004). Caprimulgus carolinensis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
  • Henninger, W.F. (1906): A preliminary list of the birds of Seneca County, Ohio. Wilson Bull. 18(2): 47-60. DjVu fulltext PDF fulltext
  • Stager, Kenneth E. (2007): Chuck-Will's-Widow. In: Encyclopedia Americana.

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chuck-Will's-widow — Chuck Will s wid ow, n. (Zool.) A large whippoorwill like bird (a species of goatsucker) ({Caprimulgus carolinensis}, formerly {Antrostomus Carolinensis}), of the southern United States; so called from its note. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • chuck-will's-widow — ☆ chuck will s widow [chuk′wilz′wid′ō ] n. [echoic of its cry] a large nightjar (Caprimulgus carolinensis) of the S U.S., often mistaken for the slightly smaller whippoorwill …   English World dictionary

  • chuck-will's-widow — Caprimulgus Caprimulgus n. the type genus of the {Caprimulgidae}, including the {whip poor will} ({Caprimulgus vociferus}) and the {chuck will s widow} ({Caprimulgus carolinensis}). Syn: genus {Caprimulgus}. [WordNet 1.5 +PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • chuck-will's-widow — Caprimulgidae Caprimulgidae n. [L. capris goat + mulgere to milk.] a widely distributed natural family of nocturnally active birds including the {whip poor will} ({Caprimulgus vociferus}), the {chuck will s widow} ({Caprimulgus carolinensis}),… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • chuck-will's-widow — /chuk wilz wid oh/, n. a goatsucker, Caprimulgus carolinensis, of the southern U.S., resembling the whippoorwill but larger. [1785 95; fanciful representation of its incessant call] * * * ▪ bird       (species Caprimulgus carolinensis), nocturnal …   Universalium

  • Chuck-will`s-widow — karolininis lėlys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Antrostomus carolinensis; Caprimulgus carolinensis angl. Chuck will s widow vok. Carolinanachtschwalbe, f rus. каролинский козодой, m pranc. engoulevent de Caroline, m… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • chuck-will's-widow — chuck′ will s wid′ow [[t]ˈtʃʌk wɪlz[/t]] n. orn a large nightjar, Caprimulgus carolinensis, of the southern U.S • Etymology: 1785–95; repr. the bird s call …   From formal English to slang

  • chuck-will's-widow — noun Etymology: imitative Date: 1791 a nightjar (Caprimulgus carolinensis) of the southeastern United States …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • chuck-will's-widow — noun large whippoorwill like bird of the southern United States • Syn: ↑Caprimulgus carolinensis • Hypernyms: ↑goatsucker, ↑nightjar, ↑caprimulgid • Member Holonyms: ↑Caprimulgus, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Chuck Versus the Gobbler — Chuck episode Volkoff extracts the Hydra database. Ep …   Wikipedia

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