The unique call of the nocturnal Eastern Whip-poor-will was heard at Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania, one night in early June 2024. It sang out all night long in very close proximity, basically earshot, to where I camped at one of the primitive hike-in sites located in the southern region of the forest.
This is a great sign because apparently the existence of this bird means that the forest and ecosystem are quite healthy!
So if you are somewhat of an avid naturalist / nature lover like myself, and you are able to visit Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania at night, whether it’s just for a few minutes or you plan to make camp, hopefully you’ll be able to hear it too!
Now, this might be a bird that is commonly heard throughout the United States, and perhaps has been heard in Michaux State Forest since forever, but for me, because I don’t live where they are commonly heard, nor do I camp very often, this was simultaneously one of the most amazing and annoying things I’ve ever witnessed and experienced in the 53 years I have been on this planet!
It was amazing because these birds are somewhat rare and you just never hear them, at least living here on the East Coast in the mid-Atlantic region. Although it’s difficult to know for sure if they exist outside of an environ like Michaux, because I have not camped anywhere east of the forest. So it’s possible the Whip-poor-will does exist and can be heard perhaps in another forest, State Park, or Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey or Delaware, for example, but we might not ever know because no one is permitted in state parks and refuges after sunset. And I do not recall seeing any postings by anyone, whether an official or visitor of a local state park or refuge saying they heard a Whip-poor-will. So I’m pretty sure they are not quite as common here in Pennsylvania as they might be in other states.
And the reason that they are annoying is because they are quite loud when in close proximity, and they never stop calling / singing! Well they do pause momentarily, but we’re talking about 5 seconds tops, and then they’re right back at it. So if you are someone that needs quiet at night to sleep, you’ll have a very hard time sleeping if this bird happens to be in very close proximity of where you’re camping, like it was for me. If it’s further away in the distance, which it was at times, it’s not too bad. Apparently I was camping near it’s territory.
And since this was the first time hearing this bird, and because it was very close to camp, it was like an alarm clock going off that wouldn’t stop. It made it very difficult to fall asleep. Fortunately, I lost my hearing in one ear (staring in 2009 due to an Acoustic Neuroma), so I was able to roll over on my right side and block out all the sound, LOL! Who would have thought my benign brain tumor would actually come in handy!
I’m assuming the close proximity of the bird to where I camped means that location in the forest is the bird’s territory, and possibly nesting ground. Unless it is not the bird’s territory, and it is a male moving throughout the entirety of the forest, then I might have just gotten lucky that night.
Stay tuned to my channel for the video to be published on June 9th which will include sounds of the Eastern Whip-poor-will, and at some point I’ll have to revisit the location to record just the sounds of the Whip-poor-will itself along with the evening ambience of the forest.
