Bird researchers in Illinois say the eastern whip-poor-will population is declining, and they want to know why.
The little bird with the distinctive name breeds in Illinois and other Midwest and eastern states and migrates to Mexico and central America.
Dave Edlund is a researcher at the University of Illinois. He says the whip-poor-will faces a number of threats.
"Whip-poor-wills are not inhabiting some forests," Edlund noted. "This may be due to a lack of forest management, a lack of fire, but also insect declines due to habitat loss and possibly pesticides."
He says a lot of the whip-poor-wills from the northern Midwest region fly through the state.
"Preserving stopover habitats for these birds is very important for conserving the population as a whole," he said.
Edlund says the whip-poor-will still has strongholds in Illinois, including Shawnee National Forest south of Carbondale, Sand Ridge State Forest southwest of Peoria and forests near Rockford.
Edlund is hosting a webinar on whip-poor-wills through the University of Illinois Extension on Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. Signup is available through the Extension's website.