The Eurasian woodcock is a plump, forest-dwelling shorebird of Europe and Asia that probes soft ground for earthworms with its long, straight bill. It doesn't live in the United States; the American woodcock of the eastern U.S. is its smaller cousin. Its leaf-litter plumage makes it almost invisible on the forest floor.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 13–15 in (33–38 cm) long with a 22–26 in (55–65 cm) wingspan. Stocky, short-necked, and long-billed, with reddish-brown, mottled plumage and buff underparts. Broad black bars cross the back of the crown. The eyes sit high and far back on the head, giving an almost all-around view.
Look-alikes
American WoodcockScolopax minor
The American woodcock is smaller, about 10–12 in (25–30 cm), with warm buff to tan chest and sides; the Eurasian woodcock is larger. Any woodcock seen in the U.S. is almost certainly American.
Why they get mixed upSame genus, same shape, same long bill and leaf-colored plumage.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- broadleaf and mixed forests
- damp woodland
- wooded stream banks
- Range
- Breeds across temperate and subarctic Eurasia, from western Europe to Japan. Northern and Asian birds migrate south for winter, while birds in mild western Europe stay year-round. It does not live in North America.
- Preferred conditions
- Needs large, unbroken forests with dense undergrowth and moist, soft soil. Frozen ground can leave birds unable to feed.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mainly earthworms, plus insects, small freshwater snails, and seeds, found by probing soft soil.
- Activity
- Most active at dawn and dusk and usually alone. In spring, males fly a slow display circuit over the treetops at dusk, called roding.
Life cycle
- Nest
- A shallow scrape on the forest floor.
- Clutch size
- Typically 4 eggs.
- Incubation
- 21–24 days, by the female.
- Fledging
- Chicks leave the nest right after hatching and can fly at 15–20 days.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Status
- In Europe, the main threat on the breeding grounds is forests being broken up into smaller patches. It is also widely hunted as a game bird.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- A tiny stiff feather from the woodcock's wing, called the pin feather, has been used as an extra-fine paintbrush.
- The British dish "Scotch woodcock" contains no woodcock at all—it is scrambled eggs on toast with anchovies.
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