woodcocks

Woodcocks are small to medium-sized wading birds in the family Scolopacidae, belonging to the genus Scolopax. The best-known members are the Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) and the American woodcock (Scolopax minor); some authorities treat an East Asian woodcock (Scolopax mira) as a separate species or as a subspecies of rusticola.

Description and habitat: They have short necks and chunky bodies with cryptic mottled brown plumage that provides camouflage in leaf litter. They possess a long, slender, straight bill used to probe moist soil for invertebrates. Woodcocks inhabit damp woodland edges, young forests, hedgerows, and brushy wetlands, often near small streams or wetlands.

Behavior and diet: They feed primarily by probing the soil for earthworms and insect larvae, aided by a sensitive bill and a high rate of soil probing. They are crepuscular and can be seen feeding at dawn or dusk, especially in spring before breeding. They roost in dense vegetation during the day.

Breeding and life cycle: In breeding season, the male performs a roding display flight at daybreak, making a whistling or tink sound while circling over preferred areas. The female builds a ground nest in leaf litter and incubates a clutch of about four eggs for roughly 18–22 days; both parents care for the young, which leave the nest shortly after hatching.

Migration and conservation: The American woodcock winters in the southeastern United States and migrates to northern breeding grounds in spring; Eurasian woodcock breeds across Europe and Asia and winters to the south. Habitat loss, drainage of wetlands, and forest fragmentation affect populations in various regions. Global IUCN status varies by species, with some populations of woodcock regarded as of least concern and others facing regional pressures.