The lonely call of the seldom seen whip-poor-will is fading away and two longtime Gorham residents say they haven’t heard one for years in the increasingly suburbanized town. The birds’ population is in a tailspin locally and beyond.

“I have often wondered what has happened to the whip-poor-will? I miss their call,” said Lynn Rinfret Tijssen, one of two women contacted after a posting on the Gorham Scoop Facebook page.

And Kathy Pride West said the last one she heard in Gorham was in the 1970s on Brackett Road. “Whip-poor-wills sing in peace, mostly because they sing in the quiet of the early morning and early evening. I miss them,” West said.

Comments like those are a “strong indicator of the extent and magnitude of the decline these birds have experienced,” said ecologist Logan Parker, of the nonprofit Maine Natural History Observatory in Gouldsboro, in an email.

“Although early ornithological evidence suggests Eastern Whip-poor-will were once fairly widespread, even increasing, in Maine, they have declined throughout the state, including areas of southern Maine, and have become increasingly localized on the landscape,” Parker said. “They can still be found in southern Maine, particularly in some of the state’s remaining pine barrens and areas with sufficient early successional habitat.”

The whip-poor-will is migratory and usually returns to Maine in April. Parker said they are a member of the nightjar family, birds active at dusk, dawn and night. He said whip-poor-wills don’t build nests.

“They generally nest within the cover of shrublands, young forestland, or mixed deciduous woodlands with abundant leaf litter, often near open habitat areas,” Parker said. “(Whip-poor-wills) are insectivores and eat moths, beetles, and various other flying insects.”

The species is listed as of special concern in Maine and a Priority 2 Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Maine’s 2025-2035 State Wildlife Action Plan.

“Several states and Canadian provinces have also designated them as a conservation priority,” Parker said. “The International Union for Conservation of Nature red list of threatened species listed Eastern Whip-poor-will as ‘near threatened globally.'”

Parker, project manager of the Maine Natural History Observatory’s Nightjar Monitoring, posted online that the whip-poor-will population has declined 69% in eastern North America since 1970.

“Drivers of decline likely include a combination of habitat loss (due to development and forest succession), insect declines, threats during migratory movements, and exposure to environmental contaminants,” he said.

Rinfret Tijssen moved to Gorham 25 years ago and a whip-poor-will sang for a few years near her backyard. But she hasn’t heard one for about 20 years.

“When I got horses, it disappeared. So, I think more people, change of landscape and development are thinning out the population,” she said.

West said whip-poor-wills are one of her favorite birds.

“I’ve always thought of whip-poor-wills as a sign of a peaceful forest. They do not like noise and development,” West said.

She added she hasn’t heard the bird’s call very often since they constructed the development at Newton Drive and Shirley Lane in Gorham. “I also think when they built up the power lines in the ’70s in that area it drove them away,” West said.

Several others weighed in with postings on the Buxton Maine Community page discussing if they’ve heard the birds. Here’s a sampling:

“I’d love to hear them again. We had them for years in Westbrook;”

“Every night all summer long last year in Waterboro;”

“Every summer in Standish. Love it;”

“I have like 57 million by my house in Hollis! Please come take them!!!;”

“I’ve lived in Buxton well over 30 years , and I can’t say that I have ever heard one in Buxton, but I grew up in Kennebunk and they were there all the time;”

And “We have them here in Limington and they are non-stop noise makers. Good luck trying to sleep lol.”

For those hoping to hear the whip-poor-will’s nostalgic song, take Parker’s suggestion for a short drive. “Kennebunk Plains is an excellent place to visit in June if you want to hear these birds sing, especially on calm moonlit nights,” Parker said.

For more information about whip-poor-wills or to participate as a volunteer monitor, visit MaineNightjar.com.