We used to have tons of whippoorwills here in the spring, haven’t heard one for years. They nest on the ground. I think they disappeared with the rise in cats and feral cats. If you search for the decline in whippoorwills all sorts of theories come up.
Freegards
Yup, where I live you can track the rifle and fall of various species by the populations of predators such as martins vs. squirrels, Cats vs. ground birds and Rabbits vs. foxes.
That said I think foxes, raccoons and opossums all have an effect on the ground bird populations.
Where exactly is HERE?