Where you live you are most likely to be listening to the Whippoorwills big brother, that being the bigger ‘n a pigeon-sized Chuck-Wills-Widow......
Big enough to swallow small birds, reptiles and rodents whole but large insects usually suffice. And gloriously loud close-up, if ya ever have one sitting on the roof you’ll know it.
The Whippoorwill passes through in numbers but breeds up north, and is pretty quiet on migration .
Yep. That’s what we have here.
"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’m outside listening to a couple whippoorwills. Does anyone else have them pass through where you live?
Wish we had them out here. I love their cry. I'll have to do with the meadowlarks that have begun to arrive.
I only heard a Whippoorwill a few times when living down south, beautiful to hear. I heard my first Meadow Lark here, just 2 or 3 days ago! Good to have them back! memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
Funniest one was Spring Break ‘86, Hot Springs Arkansas. Campground packed, brilliant moonlit night. 2am a just-arrived Chuck-Wills-Widow shows up, calling loud as all get out Moving from place to place around the campground.
Yells from all over.... SHUUUT UP BIRD!!! BIIIRD!! SHUUUT UUP!!
"...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
We have them here, and the old folks said that their song meant it was time to plant corn. They translated the whip-por-rill into...plant your one grain. Not as many as there used to be though.
Y’all ever heard the Rain Bird. ? Don’t know their proper name, but old folks around hear swear it means the rain is coming.
"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!"
Y’all ever heard the Rain Bird. ? Don’t know their proper name, but old folks around hear swear it means the rain is coming.
Yep! When I was a kid, used to see and hear them all the time. I’d forgotten about them! Brings back memories, seeing that name again. Living in Louisiana, the “Rain Bird” forecast was pretty accurate! memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
Rare to see or hear, but they were called "rain crows" in WVa. I think actually a Cuckoo. Most could assign a name to the call, but few had ever seen the bird. I found one example of the black billed variety, and that one was a fresh road kill.
Rare to see or hear, but they were called "rain crows" in WVa. I think actually a Cuckoo. Most could assign a name to the call, but few had ever seen the bird. I found one example of the black billed variety, and that one was a fresh road kill.
I knew that when I wrote “Rain Bird”.....it didn’t sound correct! Thanks for setting me straight! We had quite a few around when I was a kid! They seemed to be pretty shy, careful..... however you may want to describe them. They kept out of Benjamin Pump range pretty well! memtb
Last edited by memtb; 04/19/19.
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
We have chuck-wills-widow here, I haven't heard one yet this year. Most people call them whippoorwills but their calls have the distinctive "ch" sound at the first. I don't think there are any whippoorwills this far west.
'Four legs good, two legs baaaad." ---------------------------------------------- "Jimmy, some of it's magic, Some of it's tragic, But I had a good life all the way." (Jimmy Buffett)
They're very common here in N.E. Texas. I believe we have chuck wills widow, but everybody calls them whip poor wills. I bet there's a half dozen or more of them calling in the woods behind the house right now.
Figures don't lie, But Liars figure Assumption is the mother of mistakes
The one I miss is the Bobwhites. There were some around at the old house for one year about 10 years or so ago but they left too.
I live in the middle of a 300 acre farm, nearest neighbor a half mile away, so the wildlife is all around. One of the things I always loved the most about late spring and early summer was to hear the Bobwhites whistling, and we've been here for almost 35 years. The place was always full of Bobwhites whistling in all directions. They'd come right up in the yard when I'd call back to them. I haven't heard one in about 5 years. I have no idea where they went.
Nightjars have a similar place in my heart -- African childhood. The montane nightjar from Ethiopia and the fiery-necked nightjar of RSA sounded close enough for me. Wish whippoorwills could be heard near me. (In fact, I find most American birds boring. Blue jays, painted buntings, a few others are interesting, but nothing like East Africa.) "Whip poor Will" here and in South Africa its "Good LORD deliver-r-r-r-r!"
Moving from place to place around the campground.
