We've never had many whipporwhills in the deep South, but we have many Chuck Will's Widows here during summer. Everyone here calls them whipporwhills.

https://youtu.be/H2T_CoHnZyc?si=ddsRmDMibKSd_Xuj

… how big are they Swamp… what we call a whiporwill is a fairly big bird

About size of a collared dove....slightly smaller than a common pigeon.

… I’ve seen some sure enough whiporwills here then … sonaguns about a foot long

They migrate south in the fall. They overwinter in east Texas, Mexico and central America.

I think some confuse the sound of the Chuck-will’s widow with the Whip-poor-will, but both are wonderful music.

Used to hear them in northern Michigan years ago.
Even heard some in southern Ohio down by Portsmouth, in the 1980's .
Haven't heard one in years now.