The eastern whip-poor-will belongs to a group of nocturnal insect-eating birds known as "nightjars" because of their nocturnal habits and the jarring aspect of their vocalizations. Other nightjars found in Pennsylvania are the common nighthawk and the rarely documented chuck-will's-widow. Nightjars also are called "goatsuckers," stemming from a false notion that the birds would fly into barns at night and use their expansive maws to suckle milk from goats and other livestock. In folklore, the call of the whip-poorwill was considered an omen of death and substantial calling of the birds indicated an impending storm. The Mohegan tribe of Native Americans held the belief that makiwasug (magic little people) traveled through the forest at night in the shape of whip-poor-wills. Squat and diminutive, adult whippoor-wills weigh around 2 ounces with wingspans of 19 inches. A whip-poor-will has a gaping mouth and sports two vertical rows of bristles flared toward the front of the bill to funnel insect prey captured in flight. Its plum- age is a mix of camouflaging browns and grays. Both sexes have a white neck band, the male with white outer tail feathers. Soft plumage enables them to fly as silently as an owl and their large eyes provide excellent night vision. A gleam of red or bright orange eyes in the glare of automobile headlights may reveal a whip-or-will's position as it sits along the road waiting for a meal to pass overhead. Whip-poor-wills perch on branches or sit on the ground where they fly up to catch beetles, mosquitoes, gnats, and a variety of moths. The birds are most active on moonlit nights when moths and other nocturnal insects are backlit against the bright night sky. The whip-poor-will is named for the male's repeated springtime nocturnal