Gorham residents lament the loss of whip-poor-wills

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 6, 2026

The lonely call of the seldom seen whip-poor-will is fading away and 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. The nocturnal birds’ population has plunged 69% since 1970 in eastern North America.