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Chuck-will's-widow

Antrostomus carolinensis

Bird · family Caprimulgidae · order Caprimulgiformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Chuck-will's-widow
Photo: Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
27 states[3]
Oldest known wild bird
14 years[4]

Chuck-will's-widow is a bird in the family Caprimulgidae[5]. NatureServe ranks it Secure worldwide, and it is native to 27 US states and territories[2][3].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives Chuck-will's-widow a global rank of G5, which means Secure[2]. In the United States, breeding birds are ranked Secure and nonbreeding birds are Not Ranked[6]. It is not listed under the ESA[1]. NatureServe also notes that the species is declining throughout its range, and the IUCN Red List category it records is Near threatened[7][8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5B,NNRN (Secure (breeding), Not Ranked (nonbreeding))
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[8] Near threatened
Migratory Bird Treaty Act[9] Protected
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[10] >1,000,000 individuals

Where Chuck-will's-widow lives

NatureServe lists Chuck-will's-widow as native in 27 US states and territories[3]. They run from Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey down to Florida and Texas, and from Virginia and Ohio west to Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota[3]. Its state conservation rank differs from state to state, and the table on this page shows each one[11].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: native, state rank S1ILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: native, state rank S1BNYMassachusetts: native, state rank S1BMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S1BSDIowa: native, state rank S3BIAIndiana: native, state rank S3BINOhio: native, state rank S3OHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: native, state rank S4B,S4NNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: native, state rank S3NEMissouri: native, state rank S3BMOKentucky: native, state rank S4BKYWest Virginia: native, state rank S1BWVVirginia: native, state rank S4VAMaryland: native, state rank S3BMDDelaware: native, state rank S2BDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: native, state rank S4BKSArkansas: native, state rank S4BARTennessee: native, state rank S3TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S4BNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S4BSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: native, state rank SNRBOKLouisiana: native, state rank S4BLAMississippi: native, state rank S4BMSAlabama: native, state rank S5BALGeorgia: native, state rank S3GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S3BTXFlorida: native, state rank S5BFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[11].
Show state ranks (27 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5BSecure (breeding)
ArkansasS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
DelawareS2BImperiled (breeding)
FloridaS5BSecure (breeding)
GeorgiaS3Vulnerable
IllinoisS1Critically Imperiled
IndianaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
IowaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
KansasS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
KentuckyS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
LouisianaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
MarylandS3BVulnerable (breeding)
MassachusettsS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)
MississippiS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
MissouriS3BVulnerable (breeding)
NebraskaS3Vulnerable
New JerseyS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
New YorkS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)
North CarolinaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
OhioS3Vulnerable
OklahomaSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
South CarolinaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
South DakotaS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)
TennesseeS3Vulnerable
TexasS3BVulnerable (breeding)
VirginiaS4Apparently Secure
West VirginiaS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)

Habitat

NatureServe records forests and woodlands for this bird, whether hardwood, conifer or mixed[12]. When breeding, it uses dry or moist woods with pine or hardwood and seems to like mixed woods with a light to moderate understory[13]. It also uses the edges of clearings and hunts over fields and clearings[13]. Outside the breeding season it also turns up in scrub, thickets, hedgerows and old second growth[13].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[12]

Size, diet and lifespan

Chuck-will's-widow eats insects such as beetles, moths and cicadas, and it sometimes catches small birds in flight at night[14]. It is about 31 cm (12 in) long[15]. It weighs about 120 g[16]. It builds no nest, and the clutch is two eggs[17]. Incubation takes 20 days or more, and the young can fly at 17 days[17]. The oldest known wild bird in banding records was at least 14 years 10 months old[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[15] 31 cm (12 in)
Typical adult weight[16] 120 g (4.2 oz)
Oldest known wild bird (banding)[4] 14 years 10 months
Food habits[18] Invertivore
Migration[19] non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant

When to look for it

This bird is active at night and at twilight, the dim hours around dawn and dusk[20]. Breeding birds in most of the US are migratory, arriving in Costa Rica by October and leaving by the end of April[21]. Eggs are laid March to June in Florida and April to June elsewhere[17]. GBIF records are most numerous in April, May and June, which reflects when people look and report[22].

January: 552 recordsJanFebruary: 1,066 recordsFebMarch: 8,995 recordsMarApril: 42,565 recordsAprMay: 46,296 recordsMayJune: 23,273 recordsJunJuly: 7,921 recordsJulAugust: 2,450 recordsAugSeptember: 4,057 recordsSepOctober: 1,709 recordsOctNovember: 371 recordsNovDecember: 544 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[22].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January552
February1,066
March8,995
April42,565
May46,296
June23,273
July7,921
August2,450
September4,057
October1,709
November371
December544

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Chuck-will's-widow as present in 3 park units[23]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina[24]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is Chuck-will's-widow endangered?
It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5, Secure, but notes it is declining throughout its range[2][7].
Where does Chuck-will's-widow live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 27 US states and territories, including Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina[3].
What does Chuck-will's-widow eat?
It mostly eats insects such as beetles, moths and cicadas, and sometimes small birds caught in flight[14].
How big is Chuck-will's-widow?
NatureServe records a typical length of 31 cm (12 in)[15]. It records a typical weight of 120 g[16].
How long does Chuck-will's-widow live?
The oldest known wild bird in banding records was at least 14 years 10 months old[4]. That is a record, not a typical lifespan.

Facts and sources

  1. Chuck-will's-widow is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Chuck-will's-widow: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Chuck-will's-widow as native in 27 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Oldest known wild Chuck-will's-widow from US and Canadian bird banding records: at least 14 years 10 months old (USGS Bird Banding Laboratory). USGS Bird Banding Lab
  5. Chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) is a bird in the family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5B,NNRN (Secure (breeding), Not Ranked (nonbreeding)). NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe notes on trend for Chuck-will's-widow. NatureServe Explorer
  8. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Near threatened. NatureServe Explorer
  9. Chuck-will's-widow is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (50 CFR 10.13). eCFR, 50 CFR 10.13
  10. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe state ranks for Chuck-will's-widow (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  12. Habitat types NatureServe records for Chuck-will's-widow: Forest - hardwood, Forest - conifer, Forest - mixed, Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - conifer, Woodland - mixed. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on habitat for Chuck-will's-widow. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on food for Chuck-will's-widow. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 31 cm (12 in). NatureServe Explorer
  16. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 120 g (4.2 oz). NatureServe Explorer
  17. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Chuck-will's-widow. NatureServe Explorer
  18. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  19. NatureServe migration category for Chuck-will's-widow: non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  20. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Nocturnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  21. NatureServe notes on migration for Chuck-will's-widow. NatureServe Explorer
  22. GBIF observation records of Chuck-will's-widow in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  23. NPSpecies park lists recording Chuck-will's-widow as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  24. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Chuck-will's-widow: Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.