American Woodcock

Bird of the Day, March 24, 2020

American Woodcock
Scolopax minor

Originally published March 17, 2016

by Andy Rzeznikiewicz
A harbinger of spring, American Woodcocks arrived early in Connecticut this year – in February rather than in March. Their flight displays and calls are an amazing spectacle that should be witnessed by all who appreciate nature and yearn for spring to start.

What it looks like: American Woodcock is a plump, softball-sized bird with a very long pointed bill. It has large black eyes and an intricate cryptic coloring. Colors include a mix of black, browns, gray and white. When sitting on a nest in the leaves it is practically invisible.

How and where to find it: Most areas of the state have displaying woodcock if located with appropriate habitat nearby. Ideal locations are an open field or meadow near a young forest, preferably wet.  Every dawn and dusk the males fly out of the forested areas and call from the open area, then fly over 200 feet in the air in a circle with a twittering sound made by their wingbeats. This is done to attract females. In good habitat many woodcock can be seen or heard in one location. The other way to find one is to get lucky and flush one in the woods on a walk.

Interesting facts about the bird: They are one of the first signs of spring in Connecticut, usually arriving by the second week of March. This year, they arrived the last week of February! They can eat their weight in earthworms, their main food, in one day. They also feed on other insects and sometimes seed. The tip of their bill is flexible so they can open it while probing the mud for worms. The placement of their eyes allow them to see danger from behind them while they are probing in the soft ground for food.

The woodcock nests only once a season, usually laying four eggs. They will re-nest if the first nest is destroyed. They start incubating eggs as early as March.

Conservation Status: American Woodcock is considered a species of least concern, although they have shown a decline in New England and the Midwest, mostly due to habitat loss caused by development and the maturing of forests. American Woodcock is a game bird although its popularity among hunters has dropped since the 1960s and ‘70’s. The other suspected problem they face is poisoning from heavy metals that accumulate in the earthworms they eat.

Photo by Phil Brown, Carolinabirds.org