First I heard them was about two weeks back but that was the earliest I was in proper habitat for them.
Minor point, in Texas the ones you were hearing were most likely Chuck-will’s-Widows, the same species I heard.
Whippoorwills are smaller, breed mostly in the northeast, and sound like this...
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
I don't live in an area of Georgia that has breeding Whippoorwills so we don't hear their calls. We do have the Chuck-will’s-Widow and hear them all the time. Most people can't tell the difference and even think they are the same bird. I live on Whippoorwill Dr which is bad enough that I have to spell it for people all the time. I can't imagine what it would be like to live on a street named Chuck-Will's Widow Drive ....
I’m in east Texas, they migrate through here supposedly, but I don’t know. The call is quick, sometimes a bunch are around here. They don’t stay long. They are loud.
Sure miss hearing them living here in the west. We have Poor Wills, but they're seriously lacking in the volume category. Get 50 yds away and one won't notice their call.
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 .
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
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
Them and the Wood Thrush put me into a trance. No sound nicer in the Spring and Summer. One time I had a Whippoorwill land on the steps to the entrance of a camp bus I was laying in. The door was open and I came up out of the chair I was napping in like I was shot. It started hollering and I didn't have a clue it was there. They are really loud close up!
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 .
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
Used to hear them all the time here in N TX when I was a kid. Rarely ever hear one now.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
I’ve only heard a Whipperwill once. My grandfather was in to birds and pointed out the call near the edge of his old rye field when I was kid. It was a rare thing to hear them around here. Cool song.
