| Chuck-will's Widow is a buff-brown pigeon sized bird with a brown chin and throat that repeats its mellow "chuck-will's-widow" call over and over. The call is usually not heard in on cloudy nights and is never heard when it rains. Seldom seen during the day this nocturnal bird perches motionless during the day.
The habitat consists of open woodlands and clearings near farms over the southeastern quarter of the United States. This is essentially a southern bird that can be heard in the woodlands of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The bird winters in the tropics but some will stay in southern Florida or along the Gulf Coast.
One of the few times that the bird can be seen during the day is during courtship. The male will strut in front of the female while spreading its tail feathers and drooping its wings. It puffs and calls while jerking its body. If the displays are successful the pair will perch closely together and remain still.
The clutch consists of 2 creamy-white eggs, with purple and brown spots. There is no nest as the eggs are laid on the bare ground or on dead leaves. If the nest is disturbed the eggs will be moved to a new location. The eggs are incubated by the female for about 20 days and the young leave the nest about 17 days later. The male may help to raise the young if the female starts a second brood.
The plumage provides excellent camouflage and if flushed during the day, they will fly a short distance before dropping to the ground again. Chuck-will's Widow flies near the ground using its insect trapping bristles as they hunt for moths, beetles and winged ants. The flight is silent and graceful as the bird flies over fields covering the same area several times before it stops to sing its song again. They have also been reported to prey on small birds especially during migration. Birds such as warblers, sparrows, and hummingbirds are swallowed whole as they open their enormous mouths to as wide as 2 inches.
Length 10 to 12 inches.
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