| The woodcock is a highly specialized member of the shorebird family which, unlike its relatives, inhabits old fields and thickets in the early stages of succession. It feeds almost exclusively on earthworms, probing for them in moist ground with its long, prehensile bill after stamping on the ground with its feet.
This is a quail sized bird which is rufous below and a dead leaf pattern above. Black stripes across the back of the head and large eyes set toward the back of the head. The three outer primary wings are modified to produce a whistle during flight.
Woodcocks remain in our area until temperatures drop in November, returning with the thaw in February. I have always considered the woodcock a more reliable indicator of the season than the robin. The courtship spectacle of the males, which heralds the birds' return, is seldom followed by muck of a freeze. The breeding habitat consists of the moist woodlands, mixed forests or thickets along boggy streams across the eastern half of the United States north to the Great Lakes into southern Canada along the St Lawrence Seaway.
Woodcock watching is a favorite activity of many birdwatchers each year but it is only possible during the courtship period, from late February until late April. In short, grassy openings surrounded by thickets and young woodlands, the males engage in unique aerial and terrestrial performances at dusk and dawn for the purpose of attracting females. The males spirals up to a great height, circles and then plummets down to the ground ending in a "falling-leaf" flight twittering as he descends and walking stiff-legged to the female.
After mating, the female disappears to lay four buff colored, brown spotted eggs in a hollow among dead leaves or underneath a bush which hatch in about three weeks. The male offers no assistance in rearingas he remains on the courtship grounds. Many early clutches are discovered and eaten by predators, but the female will cycle again and again, usually succeeding in bringing off a brood. Woodcock nests are, in my experience, the most difficult to find because the bird is so protectively colored and will sit until she is literally stepped upon. When flushed from under foot they will zig-zag away with wings whistling. The young leave the nest soon after hatching and become independent at about two weeks.
Length 10-12 inches
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