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American Woodcock

Scolopax minor

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestScrapeMedium · 196 g
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 1
Photo: guizmo_68 · CC BY 2.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 2
Photo: christine123 · CC BY 4.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 3
Photo: Wendy McCrady · CC BY 4.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 4
Photo: Joshua Ebright · CC BY 4.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 5
Photo: Seth G. Breeding · CC BY 4.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 6
Photo: Anne Parker · CC BY 4.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 7
Photo: guizmo_68 · CC BY 2.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 8
Photo: christine123 · CC BY 4.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 9
Photo: Wendy McCrady · CC BY 4.0
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), photo 10
Photo: Patrick Jackson · CC BY 4.0

What the American Woodcock sounds like

Sonogram of the American Woodcock: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by steve · Call · Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the American Woodcock: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Doug Hynes · Call · Tetzlaff Rd., Kentville, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the American Woodcock: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Justin Watts · Call, song · Richardson Nature Center, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The American woodcock has a plump body, short legs, a large, rounded head, and a long, straight prehensile bill. Adults are 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) long and weigh 5 to 8 ounces (140 to 230 g). Females are considerably larger than males. The bill is 2.5 to 2.8 inches (6.4 to 7.1 cm) long. Wingspans range from 16.5 to 18.9 inches (42 to 48 cm). The plumage is a cryptic mix of different shades of browns, grays, and black. The chest and sides vary from yellowish-white to rich tans. This mottled coloring provides camouflage against surrounding leaves and earth.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the American Woodcock

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 6 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the American Woodcock

Regular range

The map shades 4 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Canada Bermuda St. Pierre & Miquelon

About the American Woodcock

The American woodcock, sometimes colloquially referred to as the timberdoodle, mudbat, becasse, bogsucker, brush snipe, night partridge, or Labrador twister is a small shorebird species found primarily in the eastern half of North America. Woodcocks spend most of their time on the ground in brushy, young-forest habitats, where the birds' brown, black, and gray plumage provides excellent camouflage.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaAdults are 33–38 cm (13–15 in) in length, including the 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 in) long straight bill, and have a 55–65 cm (22–26 in) wingspan. Bukidnon Woodcock (Scolopax bukidnonensis) Bukidnon WoodcockScolopax bukidnonensisThe Bukidnon woodcock, or Philippine woodcock is a medium-sized wader. Amami Woodcock (Scolopax mira) Amami WoodcockScolopax miraThe Amami woodcock is a medium-sized wader.

Side by side: American Woodcock vs Eurasian Woodcock

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