Antrostomus arizonae
Status: No accepted records.
Taxonomy: There are five subspecies, only one north of Mexico: arizonae, occurring in the southwestern USA into Mexico (AviList 2025).
This species was split from Eastern Whip-poor-will (former Caprimulgus vociferus, now A. vociferus) in 2010 based on differences in vocalizations and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA; the two species also differ in morphology and egg pigmentation (Han et al 2010, Chesser et al 2010).
Subsequently, this species and 10 others previously in Caprimulgus were moved to Antrostomus (AviList 2025) based on Han et al (2010).
Comments: There is one report; we consider it credible, but there is no tangible documentation. One was heard in Sioux Co 25 Jun 2003 by Helen Hughson, a veteran observer familiar with vocalizations of this species from time spent living in Arizona; Ms. Hughson recognized the song and verified her identification when the song was compared to tapes of Mexican Whip-poor-will (Silcock 2003).
Mexican Whip-poor-will has expanded its range northward to some extent in recent years (Cink et al 2020); nearest records to Nebraska are in El Paso Co, Colorado 15-23 Jul 1981 and 10-14 Jun 2022 (eBird.org, accessed Nov 2025).
Literature Cited
AviList Core Team, 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025.
Chesser, R.T., Banks, R.C., Barker, F.K., Cicero, C., Dunn, J.L., Kratter, A.W., Lovette, I.J., Rasmussen, P.C., Remsen, J.V. Jr., Rising, J. D., Stotz, D.F., and Winker, K. 2010. Fifty-First Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-List of North American Birds. Auk 127: 726-744. https://doi.org/10.1525/auk.2010.127.3.726.
Cink, C.L., P. Pyle, and M.A. Patten. 2020. Mexican Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus arizonae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.souwpw1.01.
Han, L-K., M.B. Robbins, and M.J. Braun. 2010. A Multi-gene Estimate of Phylogeny in the Nightjars and Nighthawks (Caprimulgidae). Molecular Phylogenetic Evolution 55: 443-453.
Silcock, W.R. 2003. Summer Field Report, June-July 2003. NBR 71: 106-127.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2025. Mexican Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus arizonae). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 22 Nov 2025