Nightjars (Caprimulgidae)
Baby whip-poor-wills: from egg to fledgling
A Eastern Whip-poor-will lays 2 eggs. They hatch after 19–21 days, and the young leave the nest 20 days later — about 39–41 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 2 eggs
- Incubation
- 19–21 days
- Time in the nest
- 20 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 39–41 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
- Nest
- No nest — eggs on leaf litter in open woodland
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (19–21 days): 2 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (20 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season whip-poor-wills mainly eat moths, beetles, mosquitoes and winged ants.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young whip-poor-wills are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1–2 per season. Pairs often start a new nest soon after the first young become independent.
When whip-poor-wills nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Apr) and latest in Maine (Jun). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Apr–Jul |
| Arkansas | May–Jul |
| Connecticut | May–Jul |
| Delaware | May–Jul |
| Georgia | Apr–Jul |
| Illinois | May–Jul |
| Indiana | May–Jul |
| Iowa | May–Jul |
| Kansas | May–Jul |
| Kentucky | May–Jul |
| Louisiana | Apr–Jul |
| Maine | Jun–Jul |
| Manitoba | Jun–Jul |
| Maryland | May–Jul |
| Massachusetts | May–Jul |
| Michigan | May–Jul |
| Minnesota | Jun–Jul |
| Mississippi | Apr–Jul |
| Missouri | May–Jul |
| Nebraska | May–Jul |
| New Brunswick | Jun–Jul |
| New Hampshire | Jun–Jul |
| New Jersey | May–Jul |
| New York | May–Jul |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Jun–Jul |
| North Carolina | May–Jul |
| North Dakota | Jun–Jul |
| Nova Scotia | Jun–Jul |
| Ohio | May–Jul |
| Oklahoma | May–Jul |
| Ontario | Jun–Jul |
| Pennsylvania | May–Jul |
| Prince Edward Island | Jun–Jul |
| Quebec | Jun–Jul |
| Rhode Island | May–Jul |
| South Carolina | Apr–Jul |
| South Dakota | May–Jul |
| Tennessee | May–Jul |
| Texas | Apr–Jul |
| Vermont | Jun–Jul |
| Virginia | May–Jul |
| West Virginia | May–Jul |
| Wisconsin | Jun–Jul |
Found a baby Eastern Whip-poor-will?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about whip-poor-wills
Frequently asked
How long do baby whip-poor-wills stay in the nest?
About 20 days after hatching. Eggs take 19–21 days to hatch, so it is roughly 39–41 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Eastern Whip-poor-will lay?
2 eggs per clutch, with 1–2 per season.
Where do whip-poor-wills nest?
No nest — eggs on leaf litter in open woodland.
What should I do if I find a baby Eastern Whip-poor-will on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.