A cousin of the Whip-poor will, the Chuck Will’s Widow is the largest nightjar in North America, and a permanent resident of Florida. They can be found mostly in the southeast US and as far south as the northwest tip of South America. This nocturnal bird forages for insects at dusk and dawn, but stays mostly camouflaged in brush and dry wooded areas during the day – as seen above!!😉
Check out these great sounds!! You may have heard a Chuck Will’s Widow in the dark… but could never quite find the bird!
[I’m calling this post ‘the lazy way out’ because I have been swamped with work lately and away from WP for way too long – figured one recent photo would make a quick post.]
Birder's Journey 
awesome! thanks for sharing this! i never knew about this interesting creature!
Yishai Rasowsky Mobile: (972) 54-848-2245 Home: (972) 54-751-6040 Ask the Kollel https://www.dafyomi.co.il/askollel.htm | Jewish Educational Broadcasting https://jewisheducationalbroadcasting.wordpress.com/
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Thanks for visiting, Yishai! Isn’t that the most amazing creature? It was new to me also since I moved to Florida.
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Wow, great shot of a ‘ghost’ bird. I had never knew they existed until dawn on an uninhabited barrier island. They had us surrounded. It was wonderful 😆😆😆
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Wow, Ted! Can’t even imagine being surrounded by these fascinating birds! Was it in South Carolina?
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Yes it was. We spent a few days this summer on an uninhabited barrier island off the coast. The island is part of the Cape Romain wilderness. Cape Romain is one of the purest estuaries in the country. Even Reddish Egrets go to these islands.
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Wowwwwwww, sooper awesome, seen for the first time in my life. 💞💞
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They’re unique all right!!
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I’ve had these magnificent hunters almost take my cap off just before sunrise as they like to zoom down an open path scooping up bugs. Their calls liven up a night!
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What a thrill that must’ve been! I actually did see this bird takeoff and fly a few yards once at dusk, but it was quite hard to say. Mostly people view him just sitting there like this.😉
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That’s quite a find, Carol. Do you know that I live in Ocala, since August? Have a great Hanukkah! 🙂
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Yes, HJ, I remember that you moved to Florida! Lots of great birding up near you! Thanks for the Hanukkah wishes …. have a wonderful holiday!
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Interesting name to this bird BJ !
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It certainly does sound strange, doesn’t it? I’ve only heard that its name comes from the sound it makes. (not too far off)
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That post as well worth it.
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Glad we got to see him again the other day, Berny!
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I love how disorienting this photo is!
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Lol…right!!♥️
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Oh.. look at this little bird! An amazing image and very interesting. I’ve never heard about this one before. Until now, and I even know how it sounds 😀
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Thanks so much, Anita! So glad I put the audio link in the post. 😉
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I’ve heard of a will-o’-the-wisp but never a chuck will’s widow. It does blend in well.
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I’ve heard of the will-o’-the-wisp also, but never realized what it actually was till you mentioned it, and I looked it up. ☺️
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Live and learn. May there be no end to it.
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