Chuck-will’s widow (Antrostomus carolinensis)
Chuck-wills-widow copyrighted photo by Mike Danzenbaker.
In the 1900s, observations of this bird had been made in the southeast corner of Kansas, still its only apparent range in Kansas where it breeds in the summer. It’s an unusual appearing bird when you first see it. During daylight, they roost on tree branches or even on the ground camouflaged by their elaborately mottled brown plumage. It is most active at dusk and dawn feeding on insects. Their gapping mouths can easily consume many insects. They can often be found among livestock for this purpose. Pesticide use limits their useful habitat. The Chuck-will’s-widow is a member of the nightjar family, so named because their songs “jar” the nighttime quiet. They lay eggs on the ground among natural debris and litter instead of in constructed nests. When incubating eggs, their mottled plumage creates excellent camouflage. The Chuck-will’s widow winters in lowland forests in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. It is the American Bird Conservancy’s “bird of the week”. You can listen to their beautiful song by visiting the Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/chuck-wills-widow/sounds.