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Elusive Bird Brings Sky Dance to life |
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Written by Allan Elberfeld
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Saturday, 27 January 2007 |
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We haven’t had much of a winter thus far, although there is still time for havoc. As of mid-January only a skiff of snow has fallen but signs of spring are present.
One of the most dependable signs of spring is the arrival of the American Woodcock on their singing grounds. The woodcock also known as timber doodle, wood snipe, and bog sucker is a misplaced shorebird that is present in theRoute 7 Report territory most of the year. They are migratory and usually gone by the first of December. They reappear in mid-February and their bizarre antics are well underway by early March.These quail sized birds closely resemble their cousin the sandpiper. They possess extremely long bills with a flexible tip used to probe the soil for their favorite meal; earthworms. Both sexes have russet colored bellies and top feathers patterned to match dead leaves making them barely visible on the ground. Button eyes set on top of rounded heads give them a wide range of visionWoodcock are more often seen by hunters searching for Ruffed Grouse as they frequent the same areas: thickets and moist, loamy woodlands with abandoned fields nearby. The spring courting ritual performed by the males in late February to mid March is one of the most amazing sights I have ever witnessed. After reaching the singing ground the male woodcock utters a soft gurgling tuko often unheard unless you are lucky enough to be within 50 feet of him. He then throws back his head and emits a nasal insect-like peent. After repeating this call many times, he launches himself skyward climbing in a spiral that may reach as high as 300 feet. At the top of the spiral, he circles, then plunges to the ground in a zigzag pattern. A twittering sound made as air rushes through the wing tips can be heard during the flight that rarely lasts more than a minute. Courtship rituals vary in length and may last up to an hour with the aerial display repeated many times if a competing male is present. When this sky dance is complete the males strut about the singing grounds and make a series of dashes toward his chosen hen. If she is suitably impressed, mating will occur and a clutch of two to six chicks will hatch in late April to early May. Young woodcock become independent after six to eight week. Unless the eggs are destroyed, the birds produce one brood per season.
I encourage you to take a nature walk some evening this spring to see if you can find this elusive bird and witness this dazzling courtship ritual.
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