Mexican whip-poor-will

The Mexican whip-poor-will, (Antrostomus arizonae), is a medium-sized nightjar of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and northern Central America.

The Mexican whip-poor-will is 23 to 24 cm (9.1 to 9.4 in) long and weighs 45 to 50 g (1.6 to 1.8 oz). In general its upperparts are grayish brown with blackish brown streaks; the crown has wide blackish brown stripes. The throat and breast are blackish with a thin white band on the lower throat between them. The belly is buff with brown bars. The male's outermost three pairs of tail feathers have broad white tips; the female's are narrower and buffy. The wings are brown with tawny and buff spots and speckles. The subspecies differ somewhat. They are lighter in the north and darker in the south and there are variations in the tone of the body color (some are redder) and the size and shape of the spots and speckles.