whippoorwill

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whippoorwill

bird

Also known as: Caprimulgus vociferus

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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whippoorwill, (Caprimulgus vociferus), nocturnal bird of North America belonging to the family Caprimulgidae (see caprimulgiform) and closely resembling the related common nightjar of Europe. It is named for its vigorous deliberate call (first and third syllables accented), which it may repeat 400 times without stopping. It lives in woods near open country, where it hawks for insects around dusk and dawn; by day it sleeps on the forest floor or perches lengthwise on a branch. About 24 cm (9 1/2 inches) long, it has mottled brownish plumage with, in the male, a white collar and white tail corners; the female’s ...(100 of 150 words)

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