Way back in 1973 my family purchased and moved to a property with a sizeable marsh, pond and grassland in southern Wisconsin. I was immediately intrigued by the bird sounds that emanated from the wild areas of this land. In particular, I enjoyed hearing the territorial hollering of the Red-winged Blackbirds, the wing sounds of Wlison’s Snipe as they swooped above the wetlands, and the cheery exuberance of the Eastern Meadowlarks in the field.

But it was another unusual and unidentifiable set of subtle sounds in the evenings of spring that caught my attention and had me baffled. Then one day a new thought came to me and I ran to my house and grabbed my copy of Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. There in the April chapter under “Sky Dance” was my answer. I was listening to the courting ritual of the American Woodcock that Leopold so eloquently described. I was hooked and since then I’ve enticed a family member or friend to join me on damp evenings at sunset to encounter this mysterious bird on my land or a nearby park.

Art depicting the flight pattern of the woodcock display. *Sketch by Brenna Marsicek*

On a woodcock excursion, I begin by mentally attempting to locate the preferred short-grass or mossy area from where the male bird continues to emit his guttural “peenting” sounds every few seconds and I enjoy counting the number until there’s silence. Then I look for the spiraling upward flight of the woodcock in the direction of the setting sun accompanied by twittering sounds. With stealth and haste, I move through the habitat to get closer to his predicted peenting ground location before this bird begins its descent from high above. I totally freeze in place, perhaps with my back to a shrub or tree to camouflage myself, as his warbling becomes closer and louder.

Suddenly there’s silence. I stare out in space looking for a flash of movement. If I am lucky, the woodcock with its unique body atop short legs alights some distance in front of me and returns to repeating its “peenting” sounds before there’s another spiraling flight.

I’m always amazed with chills from both the cool night air and the excitement of a close encounter. After enjoying a few of these courting behaviors, while the woodcock does its upward flight once again, I sneak back in darkness to some warmer place. By the light of the moon, he continues undisturbed to impress his lady friends.

Written by Les Licht, McFarland, WI

Places in the Madison-area you can go to see and hear American Woodcock displays:

Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North Unit
UW-Madison Arboretum
Faville Grove Sanctuary