American Woodcock

The American Woodcock, Scolopax minor is a small chunky shorebird.

Adults have short pinkish legs and a very long straight bill. The body is patterned cinnamon on top and a lighter brown underneath. They have large eyes located high in the head. The wings are rounded.

Their breeding habitat is wet wooded areas in eastern North America. They nest on the ground in an open wooded location.

The northern population migrates to the southern parts of its breeding range.

These birds forage by probing in soft soil in thickets, usually well-hidden from sight. They mainly eat earthworms and insects, also plant material. They are crepuscular, being most active at dawn and dusk.

The male performs a high spiralling flight during courtship, generating a twittering sound as air moves through its wing feathers. These performances occur over open areas near feeding locations.

This bird's numbers are declining in the southern United States and increasing in Canada due to changes in habitat availability.\n