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american woodcock

Viral Woodcock in Bryant Park Highlights a Serious Conservation Story Beneath the Dance Moves

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American woodcock in Bryant Park; Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons A small, round-bodied bird with a long bill and a signature bobbing strut has captured the attention of millions this week as videos of an American woodcock “dancing” in New York City’s Bryant Park spread rapidly across social media. While the bird’s quirky movement has made it an overnight celebrity, wildlife experts note this moment offers something more meaningful: a rare glimpse into the demanding journey of spring migration. Each year, American woodcock travel hundreds of miles from their wintering grounds in the southern U.S. to breeding habitat across the Northeast and Upper Midwest....

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The Importance of the Harvest Information Program

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Woodcock hunters should be aware of this essential certification. By Nathan Ratchford | Ducks Unlimited Conservation Communications Coordinator  Woodcock season is nearly upon us. As you gear up for fall days in your favorite aspen covers, one of the most important and exciting steps is purchasing your hunting license. Whether you’re doing so online or at your local sporting goods store, there’s one crucial task for woodcock hunters: answering the Harvest Information Program (HIP) questions. What’s the purpose of these questions, and how do they contribute to migratory bird management? HIP is cooperatively managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and...

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Satellite Tracking and the Science of Woodcock Migration

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by Erik Blomberg, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine Each year around the second week of March, I make a habit of standing in my central Maine backyard around dusk, waiting and hoping to hear the peent!s and twittering sky dance of the first male woodcock of spring. For me, the return of woodcock marks the true end of the Maine winter. Eight months later, sometime in November, my dog will point the last woodcock of the year, signaling the end of fall. I suspect I’m not the only one who uses woodcock…

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Return of the Timberdoodles

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Banding American woodcock in the spring by Bailey Peterson “The early bird gets the worm.” Obviously, whoever wrote that quote was referring to the woodcock returning to their breeding grounds in the springtime. For me, it’s one of the only things I think about as soon as the hunting season closes and, honestly, many other times during the year, too. There’s something reassuring about the arrival of the timberdoodle in the springtime – like the long-awaited homecoming of an old friend. Their reappearance marks the time when it’s usually safe to tuck the snowblower away for the year. A time when being outdoors…

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Know Your Cover – Where to Find Woodcock

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And Active Land Management for Them by Larry Partridge | RGS & AWS Lower Michigan and Eastern U.P. Forest Conservation Coordinator The American woodcock is one of our most beloved upland bird species. Prized by all types of outdoor and wildlife groups, they delight hunters (for their energetic flush) and birdwatchers (for their impressive aerial displays) alike. And, whichever camp you find yourself in, understanding the woodcock habits and habitat will greatly improve your user experience and maybe even help you to attract a fall of timberdoodles to your own piece of land. Woodcock are particular creatures and, while they can be found…

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More than 950 acres of wildlife habitat to be improved in the Daniel Boone National Forest through Stewardship Agreement with USFS

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This RGS & AWS project will be a catalyst for wildlife habitat restoration, which is urgently needed in Kentucky (October 31, 2022) – RGS & AWS signed a stewardship agreement with the USFS on the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky to assist with implementation of the Little Flat Creek Stewardship Project, which is part of the South Red Bird Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Project on the Redbird Ranger District. The South Red Bird Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Project is the area of focus within the Daniel Boone National Forest, where RGS & AWS will be targeting the work. This area, covering more than…

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