With an early spring advancing, and many arrivals heralding their return to Faville Grove with honks, trumpets, sing-songs, and calls, now is a great time to be on the lookout for the intriguing display of the American Woodcock, whose migration back from the gulf states in the coming month or so marks a classic rite of spring.
A typically inconspicuous bird who spends most of its time grubbing around the ground for worms and blending in with the surrounding leaf litter and vegetation, the woodcock really comes out of its shell in spring to impress both potential mates and any lucky onlookers who’ve found themselves a proper spot to observe. A cute if not homely bird, the American Woodcock will let forth distinct buzzy peents from the ground, then launch into the air to hopefully display prowess and fitness to any observing females. Spiraling upwards into the sky then diving back down, an accompanying whistling sound can be heard as air moves through their wings. A good place to observe these springtime rituals at Faville Grove is the Ledge Savanna on Prairie Lane, or areas in which the woods open into shrubby grasslands or savanna. If one is heard peenting from the ground, some patience and vigilance may allow the observer to catch them launching into the air, framed by the soft backdrop of daybreak or nightfall.
American Woodcock on a nest (photo by Sally Meier).
Although difficult to observe after spring, American Woodcocks display a similarly intriguing dance on the ground as they probe for worms in the soil. They’ll rock back and forth, bob and slowly tip-toe, all while their eyes placed high on the sides of their head watch for any trouble from above. Being a close relative of coastal shorebirds, I’m appreciative that American Woodcock have found their place in woodland openings, and represent an exciting time when the woods and prairies reawaken, one peent at a time.
Written by Tucker Sanborn, Faville Grove Sanctuary land steward
Cover photo by Peter Rea/USFWS Midwest. A well-camouflaged American Woodcock struts along a rocky surface.
