Scolopax minor J.F.Gmelin, 1789

Nomenclature

This species has the scientific name Scolopax minor J.F.Gmelin, 1789, and is commonly called the American woodcock.

General Body Morphology

The American woodcock has a plump body, short legs, a large rounded head, and a long straight prehensile bill.

Adult Body Size

Adult individuals measure 10 to 12 inches, or 25 to 30 cm, in length, and weigh 5 to 8 ounces, or 140 to 230 g. Females are considerably larger than males.

Bill Length

The bill measures 2.5 to 2.8 inches, or 6.4 to 7.1 cm, in length.

Wingspan

Wingspans range from 16.5 to 18.9 inches, or 42 to 48 cm.

Plumage Coloration

The plumage forms a cryptic mix of different shades of brown, gray, and black. The chest and sides range from yellowish-white to rich tan. The nape of the head is black, with three or four crossbars of deep buff or rufous.

Feet Coloration

The small, weak feet and toes range from brownish gray to reddish brown.

Visual System

American woodcocks have large eyes set high on their heads, and their visual field is likely the largest of any bird, covering 360° in the horizontal plane and 180° in the vertical plane.

Feeding Apparatus Function

The American woodcock uses its long prehensile bill to probe soil for food, mainly invertebrates and especially earthworms. A unique arrangement of bone and muscle allows the bird to open and close the tip of its upper bill, or mandible, while the bill is sunk underground. Both the underside of the upper mandible and the long tongue have rough surfaces to help grasp slippery prey.

Overall Distribution Range

In terms of distribution and habitat, American woodcocks live in forested areas and mixed forest-agricultural-urban areas east of the 98th meridian. They have been observed as far north as York Factory, Manitoba, and as far east as Labrador and Newfoundland.

Migratory Range Limits

In winter, they migrate as far south as the Gulf Coast of the United States and Mexico.

Primary Breeding Range

The primary breeding range extends from Atlantic Canada, covering Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick, west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to northern Virginia, western North Carolina, Kentucky, northern Tennessee, northern Illinois, Missouri, and eastern Kansas. A limited number of individuals breed as far south as Florida and Texas.

Range Expansion

The species may be expanding its distribution northward and westward.

Wintering Range Extent

After migrating south in autumn, most American woodcocks spend the winter in Gulf Coast and southeastern Atlantic Coast states. Some may remain as far north as southern Maryland, eastern Virginia, and southern New Jersey.

Wintering Range Core

The core of the wintering range is centered on Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. Based on Christmas Bird Count results, winter concentrations are highest in the northern half of Alabama.

General Habitat Types

American woodcocks live in wet thickets, moist woods, and brushy swamps. Ideal habitats combine early successional habitat, abandoned farmland, and forest.

Late Summer Roosting Habitat

In late summer, some American woodcocks roost on the ground at night in large openings among sparse, patchy vegetation.

Courtship and Breeding Habitat

Courtship and breeding habitats include forest openings, roadsides, pastures, and old fields, where males call and perform courtship flights in spring.

Nesting Habitat

Nesting habitats include thickets, shrubland, and young to middle-aged forest interspersed with openings.

Feeding Habitat

Feeding habitats have moist soil, and feature dense young trees including aspen (Populus spp.), birch (Betula spp.), and mixed hardwoods less than 20 years old, along with shrubs, particularly alder (Alnus spp.).

Roosting Habitat Characteristics

Roosting habitats are semiopen sites with short, sparse plant cover, such as blueberry barrens, pastures, and recently heavily logged forest stands.

Primary Diet

For food and feeding, American woodcocks eat mainly invertebrates, particularly earthworms (Oligochaeta), and they have been recorded using worm charming methods to bring worms to the surface. They do most of their feeding in areas with moist soil. They forage by probing soft soil in thickets, where they usually stay well hidden.

Other Food Items

Other food items include insect larvae, snails, centipedes, millipedes, spiders, snipe flies, beetles, and ants. They eat a small amount of plant food, mainly seeds.

Activity Pattern

American woodcocks are crepuscular, and are most active at dawn and dusk.