I’ve only heard whippoorwills twice in Texas over the last going on 40 years, both times in the spring. For a few years I lived in a hut on a deer leash outside of College Station, single cold faucet, no electricity
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One evening there were no less than five calling around the hut at dusk, easily the most I or almost anyone has heard at one time, but just briefly, less than a minute, then they most likely commenced to migrate.
The other time was a couple of years back here in town, early dawn, just briefly, most likely just arrived after a night of migrating north.
Chucks and ‘wills both are LOUD, a chuck landed on the metal roof of the hut once and it was rock concert loud.
One spring I rode out on my motorcycle to camp a couple of nights with my brother and his step son at Hot Springs AR, it was April and a chuck had just arrived and was setting up territory. Commenced to call around midnight just as social gatherings were winding down, damn chuck went on for hours.
“SHUUUT UP”, “BIRD SHUT UP”.... people were shouting all over the campgrounds
