Chuck-will's-widow
Chuck-will's-widow has fallen sharply: down 58% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Chuck-will's-widow
The Chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) is a North American member of the Nightjars & Nighthawks (Caprimulgidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the aerial insectivores.
- Size
- 7.5–12 in long (19–30 cm) — a cryptic, big-mouthed bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open airspace over fields, water and towns; nests in cavities, earthen banks or on structures.
- Diet
- Flying insects caught on the wing.
- Range
- Recorded on 904 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 23 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Caprimulgidae · Aerial insectivores
Notable Chuck-will's-widow TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
Chuck-will's-widow has fallen sharply in surveyed states: down 58% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Chuck-will's-widow Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Chuck-will's-widow is projected to fall about 27% by 2029 — from 0.22 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.16 (95% range 0.10–0.22). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.1%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Chuck-will's-widow Is Detected
BBS routes recording Chuck-will's-widow, sized by most recent count.
Chuck-will's-widow Population Trend by State
Chuck-will's-widow Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Chuck-will's-widow Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 58% since 1968. Aerial insectivores have fallen sharply across the continent, a decline widely linked to dwindling insect prey.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.