The Whip Poor Will grows to ten inches tall as an adult, with a black throat. Its feet are brown too. Many bird lovers regard the Whip Poor Wills feathers to be very attractive, with its rich blend of reddish brown, yellow brown and almost gold coloration. The feathers on the Whip Poor Will makes it capable of hiding in the day as it sleeps on the forest floor among the leaves. The plumage of the whippoorwill allows it to hide during the day as it sleeps on the forest floor among the leaves. When flying, the male has white outside tail feathers and the female has brown feathers. So complete are the concealment coloration of the Whip Poor Will it is almost imperceptible during the day light hours as it mixes in with the fallen leaves and twigs. Though a person may be within ten feet of the bird and knows where to look they can explore before noticing its presence among the ground debris. When perched on a branch, the Whip Poor Will changes so it sits along the limb rather than perched grasping the tree limb as other birds sit upon a limb. This is better camouflage better while in concealment. Birders spot Whip Poor Wills best on full moon nights as they pursue moths quietly non-stop through their territory.
Whip Poor Wills are in the goat sucker class of birds, that comprises Poor Wills and Nighthawks. The second scientific designation of the Whip Poor Will is noisy. If aroused, the Whip Poor Will quickly and quietly flies for a small stretch then dives to the earth and secretes itself. Its sweeping, noiseless wings suggest to birders one more nightly bird, the owl. If something or someone bothers the nest the Whip Poor Will silently leaves the nest like an apparition. Or the Whip Poor Will may go into a "broken-wing" act by running on the wood's floor in spurts, fluttering its wings and breathing loudly hoping to entice the intruder away from the nest. If chased, the bird wonderfully recuperates and vanishes.
The goat sucker family includes night insect eaters with its large mouth, flat heads, tiny bills and white spots on its wings and tails. When the Whip Poor Will opens its huge mouth half of its head disappears. There are lengthy gaping coarse hairs in back of their tiny beaks that form a type of gathering mesh for snaring big bugs and moths. The connection
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