The Whip-Poor-Will is a harmless bird who eats large moths, and nocturnal insects, and lives in forsts. They breed in Manitoba, Southern Quebec, New Brunswick, and the Gulf states, South Carolina, and Central America.
The Whip-Poor-Will arrives in sourhern New England from the gulf of Mexico in April and early May.
There is a superstition that the Whip-Poor-Will is a sign of bad luck or a death omen. Owls and Whip-Poor-Wills fly soundlessly by the night and are hidden by the shades of evening and are rarely seen.
When breeding the female chooses a spot in the woods and lays her eggs on the dead leaves that cover the ground.
If the female is not bothered the young are hatched and raised in the same spot. If they are troubled by a visitor the mother may carry the eggs or young to another location. If surprised by a visitor, a way to lure the predator away from her young is to flap around, pretending to be hurt, putting up a fuss, sending the visitor away from her young.
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This page is maintained by David L. Kaufman