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| Back to Home | Outdoors in the Land O'lakes - April 30, 2009 |
The American Woodcockby Steve Blight
The American Woodcock is the only
shorebird (or sand-piper like birds) that makes its home, both winter
and summer, in the forest. In the summer, it breeds in young moist
deciduous forests with suitable clearings. The female lays about four
eggs on average in a simple depression in the ground, and sits so
quietly that she can be touched. In winter, woodcock seek similar
young moist forests in the southeastern US. Highest densities of
woodcock in winter are found in northern Alabama. The southern
migration of these birds from our area is well underway by mid
October, with the bulk having departed for their winter homes by
mid-November. Numbers of woodcock are believed to have increased in Ontario during the 19th century as settlers cleared the forests, providing the openings and younger forests preferred by the species. In addition, earthworms were introduced from Europe during this period. Earthworms native to Ontario were eliminated during the last ice age. Woodcock populations are believe to have declined in Ontario since the 1960s, although the evidence seems to suggest that this decline halted in the mid 1990s. The main reason for the decline in Ontario is that many young forests with openings are maturing and the openings closing in, and in other areas, young forests are being cleared for housing and agriculture. However, despite these declines, it continues to be a common breeding bird in southern Ontario. This species has several other interesting colloquial names, including timberdoodle, Labrador twister, night partridge and my personal favourite, bog sucker. The male and female woodcock are identically coloured in mottled earth tones, which closely match the colours of the forest floor. It is a “crepuscular” species – in other words, it is most active around dawn and dusk and very secretive and inconspicuous at other times during the day. Now that spring has arrived, listen for the tell-tale “peent” and aerial twittering which lets you know that the American Woodcock is back to claim its woodland territory for another year. Please feel free to report any observations to Lorraine Julien at naturewatching@gmail.com or Steve Blight at natureobservations@rogers.com |
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An early and familiar sign of spring in
the Land o’ Lakes is the spectacular breeding display of the male
American Woodcock. Once this pint-size shorebird arrives on its
territory in late March or early April, it begins its territorial
displays with a series of “peent” calls given from a clearing on
the ground, followed by an upwardly spiraling flight display. As it
whirs upwards, the bird’s wings whistle loudly as it performs its
“sky dance” before it plummets back to the ground accompanied by
a series of liquid chirping calls to resume its “peents”. Last
week I was at our property east of Sharbot Lake just after sundown,
and there was a woodcock repeatedly going through its display
overhead and nearby in a clearing. After one of its aerial displays,
it dropped to the ground about 10 meters in front of me, and I was
quite surprised how loud its “peents” were.