For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

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

More Like This

Comments

<span>Gigi</span> Sun, 05/15/2022 - 22:56
We have them at our house in Cass County Texas...I read aboit them and they it kind of scared me...The Comme ts here made me feel better tho
<span>Joseph White</span> Thu, 05/12/2022 - 02:18
Omg really.. You hear it it means death.. Didn't know that
<span>Frank Carr</span> Sun, 05/08/2022 - 01:49
I have been hearing whippoorwill every night for over a month here in Arkansas
<span>Angela Moore</span> Thu, 05/05/2022 - 17:14
My Grandmother always said to listen for the whippoorwill in the late spring when you heard it calling frost would be over and warm weather would be here to stay for the summer.
<span>Kathy Annette …</span> Thu, 05/05/2022 - 16:07
I hadn't heard a whippoorwill sing since before my mother died 8 years ago. This year I've been hearing them in the evening and once in the moening. I love listening to them.
<span>Samantha Davis</span> Wed, 05/04/2022 - 08:49
We have one that sings from tree to tree. He’ll always start right after the sun has set, then he’ll do it again in the morning right before the sun rises. They are really interesting birds. They are the best at not being seen while he does his calls because I have still not actually seen him. Lol I’m from the northern middle part of Kentucky, lived here all my life an I had never heard a whippoorwill till I moved in with my boyfriend. All while back then we only lived 12 minutes away from each other. Either way I don’t feel like they’re of a bad omen, I mean everyone goes through their fair share of bad luck now an again throughout our lives. I believe luck or no luck is something we all as humans encounter daily, no matter who you are.. I’ve thought about this whippoorwill as being the summertime alarm clock. They’re trying to find their soulmate. They shouldn’t be cat organized as something fatality foretold. These things happen because that’s life an if your the kinda person to see things in a negative perspective then your gonna have a negative outcome, an vice versa the person to see things in a positive perspective will most likely have a positive outcome.. I’ve been told many times when something doesn’t happen the way we plan, good or bad, it happened for a reason to guide you to your next chapter in life….
<span>Arlene Baker</span> Sat, 04/23/2022 - 21:16
The Whippoorwill sings at nightfall in a suburb of Chicago.
<span>Sally S Pittman</span> Fri, 04/15/2022 - 05:43
Whippoorwills have arrived at the Round Prairie Road Community north of Huntsville, Texas. I was surprised by their calls this morning (April 15, 2022) as they usually do not arrive until April 17th.
<span>Pat Tanner</span> Thu, 05/05/2022 - 19:04
WHEN YOU HEAR A WHIPPERWHILL, ITS; THE SOUND OF YOU REMEMBERING ALL THE GOOD LIFE YOU HAD GROWING UP!!!!!!
<span>Bravocharleywindsor</span> Tue, 02/15/2022 - 12:30
Almost 20 years ago, one late autumn night, I dreamt that on a spring day my mother, sister, and I were standing on Mom's front steps when a Whippoorwill called out from a set of blue spruces in the front yard. I looked at my mother and exclaimed "Oh! That's a Whippoorwill!" and the dream faded away. After I woke that morning I thought it was unusual to vividly remember that little dream. Beyond that, since Whippoorwills are not native to our area, I thought it was even more strange that in my dream one was in our front yard, we heard it, and I knew what it was despite never having actually heard a Whippoorwill's call in real life. At that point I chalked it up as just another one of many strange dreams springing out of my crazy unconscious mind and went on with life not thinking anything more of it as the holidays approached. We all had a very nice family Christmas not knowing it would be our last one with Mom who had been moderately ill throughout the past few years. For it was about three months later, at the start of spring, when Mom took an unexpected turn for the worse and passed from her illness. A few years after she passed I recalled my dream again and as a result became inexplicably curious to learn more about Whippoorwills. It was only then that I first learned of the folklore regarding a Whippoorwill's call foreshadowing death! Please understand that as a very technical and scientifically minded person I am very disinclined to believe folktales and such. So it is all the more intriguing to me to realize that an ominous Whippoorwill calling out from a surreal dream still managed to seemingly foretell my mother's passing.