Mexican Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus arizonae)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Mexican Whip-poor-will

Antrostomus arizonae Brewster, 1881

23–24 cmLength53 gWeight

The Mexican whip-poor-will, (Antrostomus arizonae), is a medium-sized nightjar of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and northern Central America.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Guatemala, Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Guatemala, Mexico

Mexican Whip-poor-will has been recorded at 46 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Madera Canyon – Santa Rita LodgeUnited States1,326 records
  2. Cave Creek Canyon – South ForkUnited States656 records
  3. Reserva Ecológica Sierra de San Juan – La NoriaMexico298 records
More places
  1. Ramsey Canyon PreserveUnited States274 records
  2. Parque Regional Municipal Zunil – Fuentes GeorginasGuatemala242 records
  3. Cabañas y Restaurante Puesta del SolMexico210 records
  4. Paraiso Verde LodgeGuatemala194 records
  5. Mt. Lemmon – Rose Canyon and LakeUnited States126 records
  6. Finca Rubel ChaimGuatemala125 records
  7. Portal – Cave Creek RanchUnited States90 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesGuatemalaMexicoHonduras

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 Mexican whip-poor-will, (Antrostomus arizonae), is a medium-sized nightjar of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and northern Central America.

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

Questions

How big is the Mexican Whip-poor-will?

The Mexican Whip-poor-will is about 23–24 cm long and weighs around 53 g.

Where does the Mexican Whip-poor-will live?

Its breeding range: North America: western USA south to Honduras. It is most often recorded in United States, Guatemala and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Mexican Whip-poor-will?

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

Is the Mexican Whip-poor-will endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mexican Whip-poor-will as Least Concern.

What does the Mexican Whip-poor-will eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Mexican Whip-poor-will in?

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

At a glance

Length
23–24 cm
Weight
53 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
159 mm
Tail
112 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
17 mm

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

Range

North America: western USA south to Honduras

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Nightjars Caprimulgidae
Genus
Antrostomus

Other birds in the genus Antrostomus

Chuck-will's-widowChuck-will's-widowAntrostomus carolinensisRufous 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 vociferusPuerto Rican NightjarPuerto Rican NightjarAntrostomus noctitherusDusky NightjarDusky NightjarAntrostomus saturatus
Mexican Whip-poor-will

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

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