The woodcock is a shy, short-legged wading bird, with beautiful reddish-brown, barred plumage which blends into its favoured damp woodland habitat. Its most recognisable feature is a long straight flesh-coloured bill with a darker tip used to probe for food. There are 3-4 broad black bars on the crown of the head. The legs vary from a pinkish to grey colour.

Behaviour

The woodcock is a crepuscular bird, most active at dawn and dusk. It feeds by probing its bill into damp ground, eating mainly earthworms, beetles and spiders. For most of the day it remains tucked away in the dense undergrowth on the forest floor. If disturbed, the woodcock will take off in a zig-zag flight before falling back to the ground for safety. Woodcocks fly with stiff flickering wing beats which is almost owl-like. The beating of the wings produces a whirring sound when woodcock fly.

The breeding season for woodcocks takes place from March to July. Males put on a display known as ‘roding’ in order to attract a female. Roding involves the male flying theatrically over the treetops while performing a mating call – “orr, orr, orr, pist”.

The average lifespan of a woodcock is around 3-4 years.

Size

• Length: 33-35cm

• Wingspan: 55-65cm 

• Average weight: 280g

Status

Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2015); Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The decline (in the period 2003-2013) in range and breeding numbers is considerable and most severe in the south and west of Britain. The woodcock is also widely hunted; the largest numbers being shot in France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Distribution

The woodcock is a widespread resident throughout low-lying areas of Scotland, including a few islands off the West coast. The breeding population is augmented by passage migrants and winter visitors from Scandinavia. In November and December, at the onset of cold weather, woodcock tend to move as far west as the Outer Hebrides, or even depart for Ireland.

When to see

In Scotland, the largest numbers are found in October and November, when the resident population is joined by immigrant birds from further north. In the summer months, the roding display of males may be observed in more low-lying areas of Scotland, where they tend to breed.

Facts

• The eye of the woodcock is positioned high and towards the back of the skull, giving the bird 360-degree monocular vision allowing them to keep an eye on the sky, while on the ground foraging for food.

• In folklore in the United Kingdom, it used to be thought that the woodcock flew to the moon during the months when they were not seen. The first full moon in November, when large numbers arrive on the British coast, is sometimes described as the ‘Woodcock Moon’.

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