Observational Highlight of the Week: Antrostomus vociferus

Observational Highlight #10: Antrostomus vociferus (Eastern Whip-Poor-Will)
Virginia Outdoors Foundation - Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve

© Jacob Saucier, all rights reserved (used with permission)

Good morning everyone!

This week we will be continuing our theme of highlighting avian observations made at The Preserve. The star of this week's highlight is the Eastern Whip-Poor-Will and comes to us from Preserve volunteer and ornithologist @saucierj. Taken at the Preserve's Jackson Hollow research outpost, this individual whip-poor-will is one of several that could be heard in the isolated forest habitat. This nocturnal bird is a member of the Family Caprimulgidae, which includes several other nocturnal birds such as the chuck-will's-widow and common nighthawk.

The eastern whip-poor-will is another seasonal visitor (in a similar fashion to last week's highlighted species) but arrives from the south in late spring for the summer breeding season. The distinct song of the whip-poor-will (which you can listen to here) is probably familiar to many of those who frequently spend their summer nights along or in the eastern forests. From experience, the charismatic song of the whip-poor-will is something both nostalgic and exotic. Given their remarkable camouflage, this bird is more frequently heard than seen. The dark, nearly calico patterns on its feathers allow it to easily blend in among the branches of trees, snags, and down logs.

Interestingly, the eastern whip-poor-will is a ground-nesting bird, able to manage 1-2 broods each season. The whip-poor-will is also a bit of an amateur astronomer and lays their eggs following the lunar cycle. By planning for eggs to hatch 10 days before a full moon the feathered family has ample light to successfully capture large quantities of insects.

While getting pictures of this amazing animal can be tricky remember that audio is also a viable option for uploading to iNaturalist!

ABOUT #BullRunMountainsNaturalPreserve
The Bull Run Mountains are the easternmost mountains in Virginia. Virginia Outdoors Foundation - Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve is approximately 2,350 acres that serve as a living laboratory that sits in the backyard of our nation’s capital. The preserve contains 10 different plant community types and a plethora of regionally uncommon and threatened plant and animal species. In 2002, this land was dedicated by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation as a natural area preserve to protect the unique ecosystems found here. As the owner and manager of the preserve, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation is committed to protecting the special ecosystem found here and sharing it with the public through managed access.

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Publicado el 16 de febrero de 2021 por mjwcarr