American Woodcock

Name: American Woodcock 

Diet: Mostly insectivores, snacking on a range of insects such as snails, centipedes, spiders, beetles, ants, the very occasional seed, and their absolute favourite food is earthworms 

Behaviour: Solitary and crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn) 

Lifespan: 8 years 

Size: 25-31cm in length with a 42-48cm wing span. They weigh 1.2-2.8kg 

Habitat/Range: The east side of North America in young forests, shrubby fields, and brushy swamps. 

Threats: Shrinking habitats, pesticides, light pollution 

Conservation Status: Least concern by the ICUN but a ‘species of greatest conservation need’ in the USA. 

Names & Nicknames: American woodcock, Timberdoodle, Labrador twister, Night partridge, Bog sucker, Brush snipe, Hokumpoke, Becasse.

Size: American woodcocks are as long as two smartphones and weigh between 1.2 and 2.8 kg. They're also the proud owners of a 7cm, straight, needle-like bill – Pinocchio would be proud.

Smell: Nothing, really, which is probably to their benefit, as dogs trained for hunting game birds are often unable to smell woodcocks. But what's behind their neutral odour? It's thought to be because of their wormy diet – but we wouldn't advise trying this at home if you want to stop your stench.

Communication: If you often walk through the shrublands of the East USA you might be familiar with the American woodcock's signature ‘peent’ call, like a high-pitched duck quack. Males use this call to chat with other males and to attract females, and the wider species have a series of chirps and cackles in their repertoire.

Favourite snack: All things long and wormy. American woodcocks do eat the occasional insect or even some seeds, but their absolute favourite snack is a nice juicy earthworm.

Favourite hangout: Like their name suggests these little heroes like woodlands and forests. However, they particularly thrive in young forests with damp soil filled with delicious wriggly things.

Love language: Males are especially chirpy during their courtship display, also known as the ‘sky dance’. Budding suitors fly silently upwards in wide circles until they reach about 100 meters, where they will hover before slowing falling back down to earth, singing all the way. Hot, right?!

If you see them: You might be treated to the American woodcock party trick! Their signature and very amusing ‘bob’ walk. Researchers aren't too sure why they do this walk, but one theory is that strutting their stuff disturbs the earthworms in the ground, making them easy to hunt. Others believe it's to increase camouflage by mimicking fluttering leaves and shadows. Some even say that it's just a form of self-expression, but the other two explanations are probably closer to the truth.

Red flags: American woodcocks are threatened by habitat loss, as young forests grow up and become less suitable for these particular birds. Alongside increasing urbanisation and cutting forests down to make way for farmland, the American woodcocks can find themselves in a pretty tough property market. Their favourite diet of earthworms can also be problematic as these earthy noodles can pick up a range of pesticides like lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals from the soil, which in turn can slowly poison a hungry diner. An American woodcock's LEAST favourite thing is a brightly lit skyscraper window. During a woodcock nightly migration, they can be attracted by the lights of these tall buildings and fly right into the glass, unfortunately often resulting in a fatal collision... so please remember to turn off the lights when you go home after work!

Eating habits: These winged wonders, equipped with a specially adapted pointy bill, are masterful forest floor foragers. Their 7cm needle-like beaks have a very sensitive and flexible tip that they use to root through the soil in the hunt for tasty worms. American woodcocks can even open the upper tip of their bill while it's underground to snare their prey and keep it in place with the rough underside of their bill and their tongues.

Facts: Females are true supermums and masters of the performing arts. They nest on the ground, and if an intruder is close to their nest, they pretend to have a broken wing to try to lure them away!

Who are they in the friendship group: A bit shy at first but low-key have the freshest moves; they're always first on the dancefloor.

How threatened are they: Listed as least concern by the IUCN but considered a ‘species of greatest conservation need’ in many US states.