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Whippoorwill Facts, Folklore, and Haunting Night Calls

Image Credit:
Laura Gooch/Flickr Creative Commons
Written By: Joel M. Vance Humor Writer and Outdoorsman

Does the whippoorwill drink goat’s milk? Does it foretell death, marriage, or woe? Can your aching back be cured by its call? Few birds have spun such a crazed web of mythology and myth-information. At the heart of this confusion and misdirection is a medium-size bird called the whippoorwill.

Introduction to the Whippoorwill

The merit or blame for this bird’s name belongs to Aristotle. The wise philosopher took a frivolous side trip into illogic to report a ridiculous story about the whippoorwill: “Flying to the udders of she-goats, it sucks them and so it gets its name,” he reported.

It was probably the whippoorwills (or their crepuscular cousins, the nighthawks) that were snagging insects as the insects congregated around the thin-haired bellies of goats. But Aristotle’s authoritative nonsense stuck with the Caprimulgidae family (the Latin word comes from capri for “goat” and mulgere “to milk”), and one common name for the bird family is the inelegant “goatsucker.”

Whippoorwill perched on a branch at dusk.
Photo by Dominic Sherony/Flickr Media Commons.

Where Whippoorwills Live and Their Habitat

In North America, whippoorwills range from eastern Texas to southern Canada and east to the Atlantic. The night is theirs, although in both daylight and dark the birds depend on their superb camouflage to see them through. 

Whippoorwill Behavior and Courtship Rituals

Whippoorwills do their courting after sunset. The male’s spring ritual is an elaborate one, involving strutting, throat-puffing, and a variety of noises designed to convince the silent female that he is the best mate among a forest swarming with calling males. It’s almost impossible for a spring woods traveler to escape the questionable music of one of the family to which the whippoorwill belongs. If you venture into a forest in the weeks ahead, keep an ear cocked for the whippoorwill’s call and be prepared to make a wish, do a somersault, or see the Moon in a frog pond.

► Listen to the haunting call of a whippoorwill, courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

It could mean many things, according to the wealth of myth surrounding this night flyer.
The note of the whippoorwill borne over the fields is the voice with which the woods and moonlight woo me.
–Henry David Thoreau, American Writer (1817–62)

Whippoorwill Folklore and Superstitions

Old wives worked overtime to whipstitch the tattered fabric of whippoorwill folklore. Here are some examples…

  • When a single woman heard her first whippoorwill in springtime, she must have felt her heart lurch in panic, for if the bird did not call again, she would remain single for a year. If the birdsong continued, she was fated to remain single unless she had been quick-thinking and made a wish upon hearing the first call. If she kept that wish secret, she ultimately would be married.
  • Whippoorwills singing near a house were an omen of death, or at least of bad luck.
  • A man could rid himself of an aching back if he turned somersaults in time to whippoorwill calls.

Native American Beliefs About Whippoorwills

  • If an Omaha tribe Native American heard a whippoorwill’s called invitation, he or she was advised to decline it. If the bird then stopped calling, a person who had answered would die. But if the calls continued, the person would have a long life.
  • The Colorado Utes believed that the whippoorwill was one of the gods of the night and could transform a frog into the Moon.
  • The Iroquois believed that moccasin flowers were the shoes of whippoorwills.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a whippoorwill?

The whippoorwill is a medium-sized, nocturnal bird native to North America. It is known for its distinctive “whip-poor-will” call and excellent camouflage in forests.

Where do whippoorwills live?

Whippoorwills range from eastern Texas and the Gulf Coast to southern Canada and east to the Atlantic. They prefer open woodlands, forest edges, and areas with leaf litter for nesting.

What does the whippoorwill’s call mean?

The call is primarily for attracting mates and establishing territory. Folklore has also given magical or mystical attributes to the call, such as the ability to predict marriage, bad luck, or death.

Why is the whippoorwill called a “goatsucker”?

The name comes from a long-standing myth that whippoorwills suckle goats. This misconception dates back to Aristotle but is entirely false. The birds actually feed on insects.

Are whippoorwills endangered?

Whippoorwill populations have declined in some areas due to habitat loss and light pollution, but they are not considered endangered. Conservation efforts focus on protecting forest habitats.

Can I hear a whippoorwill at night?

Yes! The whippoorwill is most active at dusk and night during the breeding season. Listen for its rhythmic call, often repeated dozens or hundreds of times in a row.

Have you ever heard the call of a whippoorwill? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Bird Sounds

About The Author

Joel M. Vance

Joel M. Vance

Humor Writer and Outdoorsman

Joel M. Vance, an outdoor columnist and humor editor, spent twenty years as a conservation writer but is better known for his humorous books.

Read more from Joel M. Vance

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Comments

<span>Sharon Lofstad</span> Sat, 04/04/2020 - 22:12
Sitting on the back deck of our rural Alabama home, my husband and I heard our first whippoorwill call of the season. In fact, it’s been several years since we’ve heard their lilting, beautiful song. With the crickets and frogs evening chorus reaching its full crescendo, the whippoorwills call carried loud and clear through the treetops. When we were children, it was a common sound here in the foothills of the Appalachians. Sadly,it has become too rare. The sound carried us back to spring evenings almost sixty years ago when we played outdoors till bedtime and parents forced us in. Grumbling, we would gather our jar with holes punched in the top and filled with lightening bugs, and make our way to bed.
<span>Victoria</span> Sat, 04/04/2020 - 21:26
We have recently moved out too hard dream home on 34 Acres full of woods and lots of Wildlife. Each night for the past 2 weeks we've had a whippoorwill around our front porch area making his call very loudly. He is a determined one!
<span>Lisa Uhlyarik</span> Fri, 04/03/2020 - 23:58
I have heard my first of the season here in Murphy, NC. So beautiful and soothing. I enjoy their melody so very much. Earth Mother has been so gracious in allowing me to live in a place where she has made a perfect place for them here in Western N. Carolina.. since moving here 3 yrs. Ago, i have been blessed with their return again and again.
<span>Madalyn Mak</span> Fri, 03/27/2020 - 23:03
Love to hear them. They are the sound of peace and tranquility to me. I love them and wish I could see them instead of just hearing their lovely call!
<span>Laurie L Cleveland</span> Tue, 03/24/2020 - 20:35
The first time I ever recall and recognizing a whipporwill's call was in the pre-dawn hours.of April 16, 2017. It was Easter Sunday and I was in Northern Florida. It was also the day my brother died of a heart attack. He was 53 years old. I always associate their call with my brother. It's a mystical sound to me. I sit here tonight in the same spot, listening to the whipporwill calling out, and think of my brother.
<span>Rebecca Zima</span> Wed, 03/18/2020 - 03:32
As a child my grandparents lived 15 miles from a small rural town. In the summer I would stay with them. The whipperwills would sing all night. Loved to listen to them. Also the bobwhites would chime in when they got a chance.
<span>Howard Buck Sheward</span> Fri, 01/31/2020 - 20:26
Growing up in east central Oklahoma during the 40's and 50's I would often have to raise a window for a soothing breeze in the summertime. We lived in a 4 room house with no A/C. Night noises became an adventure; a hound dog or two chasing a raccoon off in the distance and the serenade of a whippoorwill were two I most remember. When the whippoorwill started his serenade, I knew everything was alright. Some nights I would wait to fall alseep to hear him. Often times, there would be multiple birds afar from one another. What a treat. Our Dad often took us trot line fishing on the N Canadian river and always to perfection, we would lie on a quilt and fade away in sleep to the whippoorwill serenade and the sound of the river current and the sound of cottonwood trees. I can't tell you the # of times I listened to him, but it was always a good thing as I knew everything was alright.
<span>Bobbi</span> Tue, 01/21/2020 - 01:29
I remember hearing Whippoorwills all the time when I was little while I stayed with my grandpap. I use to love that sound. I have been trying to figure out how to get them to come back to the area. I have only heard maybe one in the past 30 years. It, like so many other things, is becoming a thing of the past.
<span>Jmccracken</span> Fri, 12/06/2019 - 17:23
I called her Lilly of the valley. Like grapevines Of muscadines lining a hollow hill. Scents of moccasin flowers & daffodils . Eyes like sugar sand from maple trees full of whippoorwills . I called her the rivers moon. Her Beauty was advent of a rose where no others bloom . Glowed like sweet honey an wild rye. She was just the devil in the soft southern sky .
<span>Jim Hey</span> Tue, 10/22/2019 - 09:32
We used to hear them every evening and enjoyed their lonesome song. They were so prevalent around our little farm. Now they are gone ? I guess the sale of so much rural area around here, high way construction, subdivision building etc. has cause them to abandon our area. To bad. progress sometimes sucks !