The whippoorwill is a nocturnal bird belonging to the nightjar family and is an adept insectivore of North American woodlands. These specialized aerial hunters are more often heard than seen, known for their distinctive calls that echo through forests during the breeding season. Their diet consists almost exclusively of flying insects that become active after sunset.
Specific Prey Items
The whippoorwill’s diet is composed almost entirely of arthropods, with moths forming the largest portion of their food intake. Studies have shown that moths can constitute over 90% of the stomach contents in some sampled birds, establishing them as the primary food source. They consume a wide variety of moths, including large species like owlet, erebid, and geometer moths.
Beetles are another substantial component of the menu, particularly scarab and click beetles. Other insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, and flying ants, are also regularly consumed when encountered in the air. They are not selective about the size of their prey, as their enormous mouths, or gape, allow them to swallow insects up to two inches long whole in a single gulp.
The composition of their diet can shift based on the availability of insects within their foraging territory. They are susceptible to localized insect population fluctuations and will also consume smaller prey like mosquitoes, weevils, and various species of flies.
Nocturnal Hunting Strategy
Whippoorwills are classified as aerial insectivores, meaning they capture their prey while in flight, a behavior known as hawking. They often take a position on a low perch, such as a tree branch or log, and make short, swift flights, called sallies, to snag passing insects. These flights can extend up to 15 feet before the bird returns to its perch to wait for the next opportunity.
Their hunting success is aided by a wide, flattened bill surrounded by stiff, whisker-like feathers called rictal bristles. These bristles function like a net, extending the effective reach of the gape to funnel insects into the mouth during rapid flight maneuvers. The bird’s large eyes are adapted for low-light conditions, allowing them to detect the silhouettes of flying insects against the night sky.
Foraging activity peaks during twilight hours, specifically at dusk and dawn. They typically begin hunting around 30 minutes after sunset and continue until about 40 minutes before sunrise. On bright moonlit nights, whippoorwills may forage continuously, as increased visibility allows for greater hunting efficiency.
They utilize areas where insects congregate, sometimes feeding near artificial light sources like streetlights where moths and beetles are drawn. Their flight is noiseless and often involves gliding, which helps them approach and capture prey undetected.
Water Consumption
Whippoorwills obtain a significant portion of their necessary hydration directly from the insects they consume. Since insects are largely composed of water, their diet provides a consistent source of moisture, a method common among many insectivorous bird species.
Whippoorwills will also drink from open water sources when needed, accomplishing this while in flight using a method similar to swallows and swifts. The bird flies low over the surface of a pond or lake, briefly dipping its bill to scoop up water without landing. This aerial skimming allows them to hydrate quickly while minimizing time spent exposed on the ground.