The American woodcock is a migratory upland bird that resides in Northern forests and swamps during the summer. Woodcock are plentiful but their population is declining with the habitat they call home. While a common find for those that look for them, all but the frequent woodsman might go their entire lives without seeing this eccentric bird.

In the Northern forests, woodcock are associated with ruffed grouse. In many areas, they share most of the same habitat. This commonality is not due to what they eat but rather what would eat them. Woodcock feed on insects and worms, even as adults. Adult grouse feed mostly on vegetation, especially browse and mast from trees and shrubs. However, both are upland birds (similar to a chicken) and just about any predator would happily eat them. That is why they both prefer forests with trees younger than 30 years providing the birds denser foliage to hide under, around, and behind.

While woodcock and grouse inhabit the same general areas, there are some differences in their preferences. In my blog post on ruffed grouse (“A Bird in Search of Heaven”) I mentioned that young grouse chicks will frequent forests less than 10 years old searching for insects. But adult woodcock are far more common in these areas than adult grouse, especially during migration. Conversely, adult grouse are more common in older 20-30+ year old forests than woodcock. As I wrote in my previous blog post, grouse rely on older trees for food and will preferably live in the general area of relatively mature timber.

Indeed, it’s relatively rare that you will find woodcock and grouse sitting in the exact same spot. I’d imagine the larger grouse push woodcock intruders out of their area but the two birds also feed on different things. While grouse will often sit next to clearings and forest roads, woodcock are more likely to be found around wetlands. Woodcock also like green grass found under small openings in the overhead of young forests. This is because woodcock feed heavily on earth worms. Worms are easy to find in damp areas around wetlands or moist grassy spots in the woods.

Generally, all upland birds avoid flying (except when migrating, roosting, etc) but do so to different degrees. Woodcock are much less likely than grouse to resort to flying to avoid predators. Like grouse, they have extremely good camoflage and, being smaller than grouse, they are even harder to see. Therefore, they will frequently hide in place and avoid flying or running. This is why most people will live their lives without ever seeing a woocock. I have literally almost stepped on a woodock and had him hit the bottom of my boot with his wings when he flew away. When they do fly, they are far less speedy and manueverable than a grouse is. They are more likely to fly straight up and escape the tree cover instead of dodging and maneuvering around the trunks and branches. I have also seen them attempt to run, in a much slower, clumsier, and more awkward manner than a grouse.

Woodcock will frequent larger forest opening in certain circumstances. The books claim that woodcock will roost on the ground in the middle of large clearings. But I’ve never observed this personally. I’ve seen woodcock well past twighlight on nights in the exact same areas I see them during the day. However, forest openings especially around an acre in size are key to woodcock mating displays every spring.

While sex roles in courtship are rarely 100% defined in any animal, these roles are usually different between birds and mammals. With mammals, females will generally attract the attention of males through some sort of visual, auditory, or olfactory display. For instance, a human female might rely on the visual display of her body, hair, clothing, or other accoutrements. Other species might urinate in areas frequented by a male to advertise her fertility. Once she gains the attention of the male, he will pursue her. She will then almost always delay consumation until she can decide whether to accept or reject her suitor. Females are usually much more selective than males, as males might mate with several females during one mating period if given the opportunity.

With birds, on the other hand, sex-roles are usually reversed. This is even the case in species where the male is larger, stronger, and more aggressive than the female. In birds, the male will attempt to attract attention of the female through a mating display. Males may assume this role because birds are especially vulnerable to predators. This makes it unwise for egg laying female birds to inadvertantly attract predators while attracting the attention of mates. For example, consider the plumage of the male peacock or the vocalization of the male turkey which are intended to attract the attention of females. Once the female notices and selects the male, she will quietly seek out and pursue him. Once they meet, mating might not be delayed because, just as with most mammals, many male birds have less incentive to be selective with mates.

Both woodcock and grouse have particularly impressive mating displays. Grouse will ‘drum’ their wings so rapidly as to create a sonic boom. As impressive as the male grouse might be, woodcock tie or exceed him. In order to best understand the mating display of the woodock, you might consider the behavior of confused adolescent human males. Young boys will frequently try to flip the script attracting the attention of females. Except, unlike the girls, the boys will seek attention with physical stunts, some dangerous and others ill-advised. Similarly, woodcock attract the attention of females through stunts of aerial acrobatics.

The conservationist Aldo Leupold might have written the most poetic description of the woodcock mating display, but my utilitarian description of how I’ve seen it will also suffice: First, the male woodcock will ‘peent’ next to forest openings at dusk. Some may confuse this peent with the noise of a frog. This noise allows all females in the area to know his location and get ready to watch his stunt. He will then fly up into the air perhaps over 100 feet. He flies in wide spirals at a rapid rate making a whistling sound. While this whistling may sound like a vocalization, it’s actually the air fluttering at very high speeds through his wing feathers. He will also make a chirping vocalization. Once he nears the ground, he will end the display, flap his wings unceremoniously, and land safely on the ground. Soon he will peent again so the females know where to find the author of such a fine performance.

I’d be happier if everyone were to step away from the crowds at least once and see an American woodcock. Due to aging forests and less habitat variety, woodcock populations are declining. This habitat is important for woodcock not only at their Great Lakes summer and Gulf state winter homes but in areas along their migration path. Unatural lighting and other obstacles also increase mortality for migrating woocock. But the forests of northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota hold many of these birds during the summer. In late March and April you can visit clearings next to young forests to see their impressive mating displays. Sometimes you will also see them beside puddles in forest two-tracks (near good habitat) at late dusk getting a drink. If you can’t make it north, you might see them on migration in and before March and on or after October.