The name 'whippoorwill' mimics the bird's song, which repeats and sounds like 'whip-poor-will.' When camping, we listened to the whippoorwill's repetitive call.
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Twilight Activity
'Whippoorwill' usually refers to when the bird is active during early night or before sunrise. We barely saw the whippoorwill, but its evening song was clear.
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Cultural Symbol
In literature and music, a whippoorwill may symbolize loneliness or the rural South. The blues song had a verse about a lonesome whippoorwill.