by Durrell Smith
As we walked the trail into what seemed to be a never-ending mess of vines, thorns and briars, the question of traversing such nasty cover was disregarded. This was happening. Even more important to ask myself was, “Where was that last woodcock here in November?”
Every year, the American woodcock undertakes a perilous migration journey, subjecting themselves to multiples challenges as they journey thousands of miles between their summer and winter ranges. As a southeastern woodcock hunter, I often think about how to better identify their stopover habitats in the Southeast. Yes, migration is a critical period in the life cycle of American woodcock as they complete this necessary travel twice a year, moving from their breeding grounds in northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada to wintering grounds in the southeastern U.S.
As my sporting journey continues to evolve, I consider the duality of the woodcock: while seemingly fragile in hand, a flight that distance speaks to their fortitude and resilience. During December and January, woodcock steal my attention, and all of my thoughts, my questions and insights of the hunt lean to the cunning and discernment of this unique little bird.
This past November, I was helping a friend at his preserve, guiding some of his clients on a quail hunt. They were corporate guys that seemed, honestly, more concerned with the goings on at the office and this hunt was just another venue to talk business and upcoming projects. Although it only made for periodic conversation with me as a guide (I tend to be fairly conversational), it was good to be mostly in my own head during the hunt, almost daydreaming while walking. They’d shot a number of released birds and were quite thrilled with the dog work.
That morning at around 10 A.M., Vegas went on point. It was toward the latter end of the hunt and we’d been chasing singles the last 20 or so minutes. As I approached to bust brush, a long-billed bird flushed with a “peent, peent, peent, peent!”
“What in the world was that?” asked one of the guests.
“That was a woodcock!” I joyfully proclaimed though I added, “Although it seems pretty early for them to be here.”
That swift peenting bird cut the conversation and all business talk was put on hold.
While migrating, the most significant challenge for the American woodcock is habitat loss. They require specific habitats for feeding, breeding and resting, which are increasingly being fragmented or lost due to urban development and agricultural expansion. Additionally, changing weather patterns have altered the timing of migration and availability of food resources. Unpredictable weather events, including storms and temperature fluctuations, can disrupt migration patterns and increase mortality. There are also collisions that occur along the journey as well. As nocturnal migrants, woodcock are prone to collisions with manmade structures, particularly during adverse weather conditions.
Identifying the Challenges of Navigating Stopover Habitats in the Southeast
It seemed too early for the woodcock to have made it down to Georgia already. Hell, we hadn’t really even had our first cold-snap to remind us of the true “bite” of the cold yet. Was this a situation more akin to “the early bird gets the worm?”
I wanted to know what made this bird not only arrive early, but then also take refuge in a very suburban, residential area. We were hunting at a well-known sporting lodge outside of Atlanta that wasn’t too far from my house, making me also think about how many woodcock might even be stopping over in my own backyard? I’ll entertain my own thoughts and hope that one day I’ll cut one of my young pups loose and they’ll stumble into pointing a woodcock or I’ll find the sky dance happening under the moonlight toward the back of my property.
Stopover sites are crucial for the American woodcock to rest, refuel and seek shelter during their migration. In the Southeast, identifying these habitats involves understanding the bird’s ecological requirements.
On one of my most recent hunts with my good friends Dawson and Hillis, we prioritized deciduous wetland forests, which are prime habitats for woodcock. They prefer areas with moist soil, which is essential for their primary diet of earthworms. Much of what we hunt falls under this type of cover and is easiest to get public access. This type of cover is honestly what baffles me most about the birds who decide to stay and hang around versus the birds who are only in town for the night. The resident birds seem to be most often found in this type of cover. However, when I think about habitat that’s truly like a pit stop, agricultural lands come to mind – abandoned or fallow fields where they can forage for food in soft soil. Dawson has told some stories of watching woodcock dance in the twilight in these places and it seems like they like to stopover in the open, but won’t risk hanging around too long for fear of avian predation.
Areas with a mix of shrubs and open spaces provide ideal conditions for foraging and protection from predators. During migration, woodcock are more vulnerable to predation due to unfamiliar terrain and exhaustion. While I would like to think that my shooting at the birds is enough to consider being called a predator, it’s not, and there are other critters that have better methods of take than I do.
In the southeastern U.S., woodcock also utilize coniferous forests, especially those with a mix of young and mature trees. It was just this past week that I mentioned to Hillis that in the North, ruffed grouse and woodcock habitat tend to overlap; however, in the South, especially in the middle of Georgia and further south in the Red Hills, our bobwhite quail habitat often overlaps with where the woodcock like to stop. Longleaf pine is held in such high regard by those of us in the South that it doesn’t surprise me that such a stately bird might arrive with the taste, tact, class and culture of the gentleman and belle. During hunting season, a mixed bag of bobwhite and woodcock is always possible. Having the luck of being drawn for a December bobwhite quail quote hunt a few years back, I’d come to the Wildlife Management Area with my Lab and first pointer pup, Vegas. That day we’d heard all of the calling from Bob, but never could quite dial in to them; however, well into the hunt, I found myself on the historic field trial grounds of Di-Lane Plantation, thinking I would be hunting bobwhites that day, until Vegas slammed on point. What I would soon find out was that me, my Lab and my pointer had stumbled into a mess of woodcock. I’d not been thinking about it, but prime quail habitat very quickly transitions to just enough wet soil to host an entire flight of woodcock. I thought I would get my limit that day with back-to-back “point, flush, shoot, retrieve and point again” action happening all around me in that one little area, but as the last bird flushed, I missed the closing shot. I was thankful for the dog work and the two birds in hand.
In the southeastern U.S., we have the particularly special need for ongoing research on woodcock stopover habits and their decisions to continue on or take residence based on the challenges they face upon arrival and while enroute. It’s essential to understanding migration patterns and the impacts of environmental changes. Banding programs and satellite tracking provide valuable data for conservation strategies and help identify patterns, paths and opportunities for better dog work afield.
The American woodcock’s migration is a remarkable natural phenomenon, yet it’s fraught with challenges. Understanding and identifying their stopover habitats – especially in the Southeast – is crucial for their conservation. Through concerted efforts in habitat management, research, public awareness and policy advocacy, we can help ensure that these unique birds continue to grace our skies for generations to come. Raising awareness about the American woodcock and its conservation needs, coupled with advocating for policies that protect critical habitats is crucial. This includes educating the public about the importance of wetland and forest conservation and for the long-term survival of the species.
The arrival of woodcock came to me as a sign of good fortune – that some things in the world will continue and persist – and our capacity for understanding will simply have to catch up. The woodcock, however obscure it may look, remains still an elusive symbol of fragility while embodying an illustrious spirit of persistence and resilience.
