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The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a crepuscular-nocturnal species of southeastern Canada's dry deciduous and mixed forests. The Breeding Bird Survey indicates that the species has experienced a large population decrease since about 1970. Because of these declines, the species was assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada as Threatened in 2009 (COSEWIC 2009). Causes for the decline remain unclear, but likely stem from multiple sources. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
In the 1980s, there was a negative change point in the Breeding Bird Survey population trends of swallows, swifts, and nightjars across most of North America (Smith et al. 2015). Indeed, the Eastern Whip-poor-will is one of several species of aerial-foraging insectivores showing widespread declines in Canada. Causes of these declines remain unclear, but possible changes in aerial insect populations have been suggested as one common factor as well as landscape changes, insecticides, and climate change (Blancher et al. 2009, Nebel et al. 2010). Specific to the Eastern Whip-poor-will in Ontario, where much of the breeding population occurs, declines may be attributable to long-term habitat loss due to intensive agriculture and natural forest succession (Mills 2007a). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view available recovery documents, see the SARA Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
