PUERTO RICAN WHIP-POOR-WILL 



Caprimulgus noctitherus (Wetmore) 



KINGDOM Animalia 



ORDER Caprimulgiformes 



FAMILY Caprimulgidae 



OTHER COMMON 



NAMES Pajaro Bobo (Reynard 1962); 



Guabairo Pequeno de Puerto Rico (Biaggi 

 1979 and Leopold 1963); Guabairo Chico 

 and Guaraiba (Bond 1936 and Wetmore 

 1916); Puerto Rican Nightjar (Leopold 

 1963). 



DATE 



Entered into SWIS To be determined 



Updates To be determined 



LEGAL STATUS 



Federal: Endangered (42 FR 36428, 14 July 



1977). Protected by Migratory Bird 

 Treaty Act of July 2, 1918 (40 

 Stat. 755; 16 U.S.C. 703-711) as 



amended Dec. 3, 1969. Public Law 

 91-135. 



Puerto Rico: Listed as "very endangered." 

 Commonwealth "Wildlife Law" 

 protects ail nongame bird species 

 including Puerto Rican Whip-poor- 

 WUl. 



REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS 



Wetmore (1927), Wadsworth (1949), and 

 Wolcott (1953) assumed that the exotic mongoose 

 [Herpestes jarvanicus), introduced in 1877, had 

 stripped the whip-poor-will population from 

 much its former more extensive range. Some of 

 this former range still has habitat that appears 

 suitable for whip-poor-wills, but also has rainfall 

 and standing water sufficient to support mon- 

 gooses. 



At present, lowland semiarid scrubby forest 

 habitat is being reduced by expanding human 

 population and developing industries. A rapidly 

 expanding petrochemical industry is adjacent to 

 the Guayanilla whip-poor-will population, only 8 



