woodcock

Woodcock is the common name for several species of stocky, ground‑dwelling wading birds in the family Scolopacidae. The best known are the Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) and the American woodcock (Scolopax minor). They have cryptically patterned brown plumage, a short neck, and a very long bill that they use to probe soft soil for invertebrates. They are commonly found in damp woodlands, boggy meadows, and forest edges.

Adult woodcocks are compact birds with a short tail and relatively large head. Their long bill is overlaid with sensitive tissues at the tip to locate prey by feel as well as by sight. Plumage features include brown, gray, and black mottling that blends with leaf litter; wings are broad, aiding short, erratic flights when flushed.

Eurasian woodcock ranges across Europe and much of Asia, while American woodcock inhabits eastern North America. They favor moist, loamy soils rich in earthworms and other invertebrates, often in young forests, scrub, and wetlands. They migrate at night, moving to milder regions in winter.

Woodcocks forage primarily at dawn and dusk, using their long bills to probe the soil for prey. In spring, males perform a distinctive aerial courtship display known as roding, emitting a twittering sound with their wings as they circle over open habitats. The nest is a shallow scrape on the forest floor; the female lays about four eggs, incubated for roughly two weeks. Chicks are precocial and leave the nest soon after hatching.

Conservation status is generally of least concern, but local populations face threats from habitat loss and drainage of wetlands. Woodcocks have a long history of human appreciation for their elaborate displays and cryptic camouflage.