About this Species

Name:	American Woodcock
Family:	Early Migratory Birds
Scientific Name:	Scolopax minor
Habits and Habitat:	Woodcocks prefer brushy marshes, field edges and flooded woodlands, where they can probe for earthworms with their long bills.
Habit:	Hen woodcocks will fake injury if they see predators drawing near their eggs or chicks. She will fly away once she senses the threat is far enough from her young.
Description:	Woodcocks are primarily nocturnal, but can still be active at dawn and dusk. They are seldom seen during the day, unless flushed. They probe the ground with their long bills, looking for earthworms. The ends of their bills have a mass of nerve endings that the birds use to sense worms as they probe. They typically roost very close to their feeding grounds, which was to their detriment when they were heavily hunted for food. Hunters would watch the birds as they travelled between their roost and feeding grounds, then set up nets to intercept them.