Mexican Whip-poor-will
Antrostomus arizonae
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCaprimulgiformes (Nightjars and Allies)
- FamilyCaprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies)
- GenusAntrostomus (Typical American Nightjars)
- SpeciesAntrostomus arizonae (Mexican Whip-poor-will)
About the Mexican Whip-poor-will
The Mexican whip-poor-will, (Antrostomus arizonae), is a medium-sized nightjar of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and northern Central America. Until 2010 the Mexican whip-poor-will and what is now the eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) were considered conspecific under the name whip-poor-will. They were separated based on differences in their genetics, morphology, and vocalizations. The two remain sister species and with the Puerto Rican nightjar (A. noctitherus) form a superspecies. The Mexican whip-poor-will has these five subspecies:
A. a. arizonae Brewster (1881) A. a. setosus van Rossem (1934) A. a. oaxacae Nelson (1900) A. a. chiapensis Nelson (1900) A. a. vermiculatus Dickey & van Rossem (1928) The Mexican whip-poor-will is 23 to 24 cm (9.1 to 9.4 in) long and weighs 45 to 50 g (1.6 to 1.8 oz). In general its upperparts are grayish brown with blackish brown streaks; the crown has wide blackish brown stripes. The throat and breast are blackish with a thin white band on the lower throat between them. The belly is buff with brown bars. The male's outermost three pairs of tail feathers have broad white tips; the... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Mexican Whip-poor-will in Big Bend National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Big Bend National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Celaque National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | La Tigra National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mexican Whip-poor-will in Big Bend National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Whip-poor-will sighting in Big Bend National Park, based on 323 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mexican Whip-poor-will in Big Bend National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Mexican Whip-poor-will in Big Bend National Park in our monthly data.