BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 179 







GENUS ANTROSTOMUS GOULD. 

 Antrostomus vociferus (WiLS.). 



Whip-poor-will. 



DESCBIPTION (Plate 8S). 



Length about 10 inches ; extent about 18; gape with long stiff bristles reaching be- 

 yond bill ; no white spot on primaries. 



Habitat. Eastern United States to the plains, south to Guatemala. 



Although the Whip-poor-will and Nighthawk are generally regarded 

 by those who are not versed in ornithology, as the same bird, it can 

 readily be seen, by referring to Plate 23, that they differ greatly. It 

 will be observed that the Whip-poor-will has conspicuous, long and stiff 

 bristles at the base of bill ; the bill of the Nighthawk is not furnished 

 with long, conspicuous and stiff bristles. The Whip-poor-will has no 

 white spot on the primaries ; the Nighthawk has a well-marked spot of 

 white on five outer primaries. The white on tail of males of both species 

 is also different. In the Whip-poor-will the lower half of the three outer 

 tail feathers is white ; Nighthawk has a broad white bar crossing the 

 tail (except middle feathers) near the tip. The males, both species, 

 have transverse white throat bars. The female Whip-poor-will has a 

 tawny throat bar, and inconspicuous terminal spots of the same color 

 on lateral tail feathers. Female Nighthawk, throat bar tawny, white 

 spot on wing, but no terminal patch of white crossing tail. 



The Whip poor-will is a rather common summer resident in the wooded 

 and mountainous portions of Pennsylvania. It arrives in this locality 

 from April 22 to May 1, and migrates southward in September. The 

 Whip-poor-will migrates singly or in pairs, and, unlike the Nighthawk, 

 is never to be found in flocks. The Whip-poor-will is nocturnal in hab- 

 its, and is seldom seen during the day unless accidentally discovered 

 in a state of repose, when, if startled, " it rises and flies off, but only 

 to such a distance as it considers necessary, in order to secure it from 

 the farther intrusion of the disturber of its noon-day slumbers. Its 

 flight is very low, light, swift, noiseless and protracted, as the bird 

 moves over the places which it inhabits, in pursuit of the moths, beetles 

 and other insects of which its food is composed. During the day it 

 sleeps on the ground, the lowest branches of small trees, or the fallen 

 trunks of trees, so abundantly dispersed through the woods. In such 

 situations you may approach within a few feet of it ; and, should you 

 observe it whilst asleep, and not make any noise sufficient to alarm it, 

 it will suffer you to pass quite near without taking flight, as it seems to 

 sleep with great soundness, especially about the middle of the day. In 

 rainy or very cloudy weather it sleeps less, and is more on the alert. 

 Its eyes are then kept open for hours at a time, and it flies off as soon 

 as it discovers an enemy approaching, which it can do, at such times, at 



