Definition

1. Noun:
   • A nocturnal North American bird: A medium-sized bird (Caprimulgus vociferus) known for its distinctive, repetitive call that sounds like its name, "whip-poor-will." It is a member of the nightjar family (Caprimulgidae).
   • Characteristics: It has mottled grey, brown, and black plumage that provides excellent camouflage against the forest floor. It is an insectivore, catching flying insects at dusk and dawn.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The haunting call of the whippoorwill is a classic sound of summer nights in eastern North American woods.
  • We sat on the porch and listened to a whippoorwill singing in the distance.

Advanced Usage

• Ecological indicator: The presence or absence of whippoorwills is sometimes studied as an indicator of forest health and insect population levels.
  • Biologists are concerned because the whippoorwill population has declined, suggesting changes in its woodland habitat.

Variants and Related Words

• Nightjar (n): The common name for the family of birds (Caprimulgidae) to which the whippoorwill belongs. They are also known as "goatsuckers."
• Chuck-will's-widow (n): A closely related, larger species of nightjar () found in southeastern North America, with a similar but distinct call.

Synonyms

• Nightjar: A general term for birds of the family Caprimulgidae.
• Goatsucker: An old, less common name for nightjars, based on a folk myth that these birds suck milk from goats.

Related Phrases

• "Hear a whippoorwill call": A phrase often used in literature and music to evoke a specific rural, nocturnal, or melancholic atmosphere.
  • The song described a lonely traveler who could hear a whippoorwill call from the deep woods.

Noun

1. American nocturnal goatsucker with grey-and-white plumage