science education resource

Woodcock (American)

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Scolopax minor
Woodcock

Range

They are found in eastern North America from southern Manitoba east across Canada to Newfoundland and in the U.S. from Texas east. They winter in the southern part of their range from Connecticut south.

Habitat

They live in moist woodlands and thickets near open fields.

Body Traits

They have a rounded body with a short neck and big eyes. They have a long, thin bill and dark stripes (bars) across the head. Their mottled coloration is great camouflage and helps them blend in as they search the leaf litter for earthworms.

Habits

They are active in the evening (at dusk). To attract a mate in the spring, males fly around in a spiral higher and higher in the sky and then dive straight down calling.

Diet

They eat mostly worms that they dig out from the leaf litter with their long bill.

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Reproduction

The female lays 1 -12 tan, spotted eggs in a shallow dent on the ground.

Other Facts About This Animal

The American woodcock is also called a timberdoodle.

Related Links

Related Links:
Woodcock Coloring Page

Woodcock

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Suborder: Scolopaci
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Scolopax
Species: S. minor

Citing Research References

When you research information you must cite the reference. Citing for websites is different from citing from books, magazines and periodicals. The style of citing shown here is from the MLA Style Citations (Modern Language Association).

When citing a WEBSITE the general format is as follows.
Author Last Name, First Name(s). "Title: Subtitle of Part of Web Page, if appropriate." Title: Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. Additional significant descriptive information. Date of Electronic Publication or other Date, such as Last Updated. Day Month Year of access < URL >.

Here is an example of citing this page:

Amsel, Sheri. "Woodcock (American)" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. March 26, 2024
< http://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/Woodcock-American >

Exploringnature.org has more than 2,000 illustrated animals. Read about them, color them, label them, learn to draw them.