American Woodcock – photo Matt Valencic
Woodcock are much anticipated because of their nuptial display at dusk. Males enter open fields just before dark and vocalize a “PEENT” several times while walking in a circle, so their sound carries in all directions. After a couple minutes they take flight, going so high you loose sight of them, before descending in a zig zag pattern, chirping while their wings create other sounds before landing right where they took off! Then they start “PEENTing” again.
