The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a nocturnal bird whose mottled gray-brown plumage blends into the forest floor. It hunts flying insects at dusk and night in open woods.
Fine gray and brown mottling covers the bird and makes it difficult to see among leaves and shadows on the ground.
It is active at dusk and night in open forest, flying out from a perch to catch insects in the air.
It lays two eggs on forest-floor litter without building a nest. Incubation lasts 19–21 days. Newly hatched chicks have orange-tan down and closed eyes.
Parents regurgitate insects for the chicks. At about eight days, the female may leave chick care to the male and begin another clutch nearby.
It catches moths, beetles, and other insects in short flights from a perch. On bright moonlit nights it may hunt throughout the night.
It has a large, rounded head, a stout chest, and a line of gray feathers along the back. A white bib borders the dark throat; tail corners are white in males and dull buff in females.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.