Chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Chuck-will's-widow

Antrostomus carolinensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

28–33 cmLength109 gWeight

The chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) is a nocturnal bird of the nightjar family Caprimulgidae.

Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Costa Rica, Canada

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Chuck-will's-widow has been recorded at 305 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 18 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Blucher ParkUnited States2,535 records
  2. Sabine WoodsUnited States1,260 records
  3. Warbler Woods Bird SanctuaryUnited States1,066 records
More places
  1. Fort De Soto ParkUnited States559 records
  2. Arenal MisticoparkCosta Rica507 records
  3. Lake Apopka North Shore – Orange County sectionUnited States452 records
  4. Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States438 records
  5. Green Cay Wetlands & Nature CenterUnited States435 records
  6. Edwin B. Forsythe NWRUnited States421 records
  7. High Island – Smith Oaks SanctuaryUnited States410 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesCosta RicaCanadaColombiaMexicoBahamasPanamaDominican Republic

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) is a nocturnal bird of the nightjar family Caprimulgidae. It is mostly found in the southeastern United States (with disjunct populations in Long Island, New York; Ontario, Canada; and Cape Cod, Massachusetts) near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods. It migrates to the West Indies, Central America, and northwestern South America.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Chuck-will's-widow?

The Chuck-will's-widow is about 28–33 cm long and weighs around 109 g.

Where does the Chuck-will's-widow live?

Its breeding range: North America: eastern USA. It is most often recorded in United States, Costa Rica and Canada.

When is the best time to see the Chuck-will's-widow?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Chuck-will's-widow endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Chuck-will's-widow as Near Threatened.

What does the Chuck-will's-widow eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Chuck-will's-widow in?

It belongs to the family Nightjars (Caprimulgidae), order Caprimulgiformes.

At a glance

Length
28–33 cm
Weight
109 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
208 mm
Tail
141 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: eastern USA

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Nightjars Caprimulgidae
Genus
Antrostomus

Other birds in the genus Antrostomus

Rufous NightjarRufous NightjarAntrostomus rufusCuban NightjarCuban NightjarAntrostomus cubanensisHispaniolan NightjarHispaniolan NightjarAntrostomus ekmaniTawny-collared NightjarTawny-collared NightjarAntrostomus salviniYucatan NightjarYucatan NightjarAntrostomus badiusSilky-tailed NightjarSilky-tailed NightjarAntrostomus sericocaudatusBuff-collared NightjarBuff-collared NightjarAntrostomus ridgwayiEastern Whip-poor-willEastern Whip-poor-willAntrostomus vociferusMexican Whip-poor-willMexican Whip-poor-willAntrostomus arizonaePuerto Rican NightjarPuerto Rican NightjarAntrostomus noctitherusDusky NightjarDusky NightjarAntrostomus saturatus
Chuck-will's-widow

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by John Brush. ↗

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