May 20, 2024

Many members of Seabrook Island Birders are known for their great trips to far flung areas to experience great surroundings, wildlife, and of course, the birds we love. However, one of the great treasures we have here in the Lowcountry are the parks, wildlife management areas, preserves, and other protected natural areas which play a vital role in conserving biodiversity, providing habitats for wildlife, and offering opportunities for bird-watching and photography. Key benefits of these protected areas are habitat conservation, recreation and education, research and monitoring, promotion of ecotourism, wildlife photography and bird watching. For enthusiasts like us, parks and preserves offer excellent opportunities for capturing stunning images of wildlife and birds in their natural habitats.

None of this would be available without the work of organizations like the Open Space Institute. Please come join us on Thursday May 30, 2024 to hear more about this organization and the role they play in conservation in South Carolina. We are also pleased to announce that Nick Wallover will now be presenting. Nick is well-versed in SC Coastal Bird Programs and has spent significant time in our area. Please continue to read for more background.

Speaker: Nick Wallover
Parks and Stewardship Project Manager
Open Space Institute

Date: May 30, 2024, 7:00 pm
Location: Lake House Live Oak Hall

7:00 pm Registration & Refreshments
7:30 pm Program
8:45 pm Program ends

Program Summary

Nick Wallover will present on the history and current status, and future of conservation in South Carolina, and the role the Open Space Institute has played in protecting and opening more than 100,000 acres in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina to the public. The presentation focus will be on existing, expanding, and new places for the public to get outside and see wildlife in the South Carolina Lowcountry, and the habitat restoration and research OSI is partnering with to improve opportunities for residents and wildlife alike.

Nick’s Bio

Nick Wallover is the Parks and Stewardship Project Manager with Open Space Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting land and habitats for conservation and recreation. His role is focused on planning and building public access, as well as habitat restoration and management.

Prior to joining OSI, Nick was Stewardship Manager at the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve, and a biologist with SC Dept of Natural Resources, primarily with the SC Coastal Bird Program. He has spent time on Kiawah, Seabrook Island, Botany, and Deveaux Bank working with the numerous imperiled species in our state.

(*Join SIB or renew membership for 2024 : https://seabrookislandbirders.org/join-sib/ )

The Chuck-will’s widow has mottled brown plumage with a buff throat. It features reddish-brown feathers lined with black, and its head and chest display brown and white patterning. Males have distinctive white patches on their outer tail feathers. This bird has a short bill and a long tail, typical of nightjars. You are probably hearing the Chuck-will’s Widow song right now in the morning or all night long. If you are lucky and have a keen eye, by day they can be found resting motionless on the ground or on a horizontal branch.

Chuck-will’s-widows catch flying insects at night. They eat mainly moths, beetles and dragonflies. Very occasionally, they have been seen eating birds such as Hooded, Palm, Yellow, and Cape May Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Swamp Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Cuban Emerald (a hummingbird), as well as bats.

Chuck-will’s-widows don’t build nests; they simply lay their eggs on the ground among dead leaves, pine needles, or bare dirt. Incubating adults are incredibly well camouflaged and virtually invisible unless you nearly step on them. In the picture above, this chucks-will’s widow is sitting on a nest. She was just found recently on Seabrook Island Road at a private residence.

Clutch Size:	1-4 eggs
Number of Broods:	1 brood
Egg Length:	1.3-1.6 in (3.3-4 cm)
Egg Width:	0.9-1.1 in (2.3-2.8 cm)
Incubation Period:	20-21 days
Nestling Period:	16-17 days
Egg Description:	White to gray, with variable dark markings.
Condition at Hatching:	Weak but with eyes open, covered in long, light-brown down, able to walk.

Look close for the babies…..

This species is often mistaken for a similar species called the Whip-poor-will. Their songs are very similar, but they are a much smaller, grayer bird. Whip-poor-wills can also be found in eastern Forests.

Chuck-will’s Widow has a low conservation concern.

Article submitted by: Melanie Jerome
Photographs provided by: Gina Sanders

This blog post is part of a series SIB will publish on a regular basis to feature birds seen in the area, both migratory and permanent residents. When possible we will use photographs taken by our members. Please let us know if you have any special requests of birds you would like to learn more about.