GOATSUCKERS 
267 
of the middle pair, is white in the male, and tipped with huffy in the female; the spread 
wing shows no white spot. Because of its eastern range, large size, and very much longer 
tail, not likely to be confused with the western Poor-will that resembles it closely in color- 
ation and habit. 
Field Marks. A wood-brown, long-winged, long-tailed bird, with no conspicuous 
white spot in the wing, that rises from the undergrowth with a loose, floppy flight, flies low, 
and soon alights again on the ground beyond. More often recognized by sound at night 
than by sight in the day. Its call at night, a soft whistle resembling the words “Whip 
poor will ” repeated many times, is familiar to all frequenters of the eastern woodlands. 
Nesting. Eggs laid directly on the ground or on dead leaves. 
Distribution. Eastern North America. In Canada, west to and including the woods and 
bluffs of southern Manitoba. Has been taken as far west as Prince Rupert, Saskatchewan. 
SUBSPECIES. The subspecies accredited to Canada is the Eastern Whip-poor-will 
(le Bois-pourri de l’Est) Antrostomus vociferus vodferus. 
There is no other sound in the Canadian woods so poetically mournful 
as the reiterated call of the whip-poor-will. The translation of bird notes 
into words usually requires a stretch of the imagination, but this bird 
says u Whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will ” with unusual distinctness. For a 
calling station it selects a perch on a fallen tree trunk, a bare branch, the 
roof of a building, or even a tent-pole. It returns to its various stations 
regularly on successive nights and seems to visit each in turn. Between 
periods of calling the bird hawks and wheels through the tree tops in large, 
interlacing circles, sometimes swooping towards the ground in a long, 
pendulum-like swing. In the daytime it seeks the ground in some quiet 
patch of underbrush where it passes the time at rest. When disturbed 
by an intruder it rises with a loose, poorly controlled flight that gives no 
indication of its wonderful command of the air at other times, flutters 
a short distance over the tangle, and drops again to earth. 
The whip-poor-will is often regarded as identical with the nighthawk. 
This is a not unnatural mistake when they are not seen side by side, as 
they are quite similar enough to be confused. 
Economic Status. The whip-poor-will feeds largely upon night-flying 
beetles, especially May beetles or June bugs. 
418. Poor- will, l’engoulevent de l’ouest. Antrostomus nuttalli. L, 7-50. 
Above: a rich, dark, seal-brown, frosted over with a fine, complicated pattern of silver- 
grey. Below: the same colours, but the breast predominantly dark; the flanks and 
abdomen finely barred with silver-grey and predominantly light, the bars dying away on 
the breast. A triangular white patch occupies the throat. Tail rounded, under 3-50 
inches, and the three outer feathers tipped with white thumb-marks. 
Distinctions. Much like a small, short-tailed Whip-poor-will, but far removed from 
that species in range. Likely to be confused only with the Nighthawk, the only other 
goatsucker that is found in the same locality with it. Differs from that species in being 
smaller, having a shorter, round tail with outer feathers white tipped. The white throat 
patch does not reach the base of the bill, and there Is no white spot in the outspread wing. 
The mouth is furnished with bristles, as in Figure 3S6. 
Field Marks. A woody brown bird that is occasionally flushed just in front of the 
feet from the shade of a sage-brush or rock on the bare mountain benches, flops away over 
the open, and then drops suddenly. More often heard at night than seen by day. Its 
note, a soft, hollow-sounding, three-syllabled whistle resembling “Cook — Wid-ow,” many 
times repeated. Sometimes the first word is omitted, and when very close to an agitated 
bird, a number of little clucks may be heard as it sails noiselessly about the intruder. 
Nesting. Eggs deposited on the bare ground. 
Distribution. Central and western North America. In Canada, only in the valleys 
of southern interior British Columbia. 
SUBSPECIES. Of the three subspecies recognized in the Check-list only one, the 
Nuttall’s Poor-will (l’Engoulevent de Nuttall) Antrostomus nuttalli Jiuttalli, is accredited 
to Canada. 
