American Woodcock, Lake Banook area Dartmouth, Photo by Josha Barss Donham 2015-04-08
Say hello again to the American Woodcock! This unusual shorebird is one of 4 ground nesting birds species that we’re featuring this season.
The American Woodcock lives in wooded or shrubby areas where the ground is damp, and is quite distinctive: a plump chest and belly, very short legs, big dark eyes placed unusually far back on the head, and a very long beak. They are a stocky bird, about the same length as a robin but more than twice as heavy! And the females are even larger than the males.