Nearly 30 years ago, the legendary naturalist Kathy Heidel introduced me to a small plump bird named the timber doodle. Since that time I make a pilgrimage each spring to see one of my favorite rights of spring—the dance of the timber doodle. Better known at the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) the timber doodle is a upland shorebird that is closely related to sandpipers but the woodcock lives far from the waters edge, instead preferring open or young woodlands and moist fields.

Woodcock are an oddly shaped bird with a plump round body, short round wings and a stubby tail. Its long bill project from a tiny head that seems to be lacking a neck. The bill has a soft pliable tip that moves independently of the rest of the bill. This allows the woodcock to insert its long bill deep into the soft mud and still be able to open the tip and grasp a slippery worm before extracting them from the ground.

Often confused with the Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) they are similar in size, shape and long bill. They are both tan to brown in color which allows them to blend into their leafy environment. One way to tell the difference between the two species is the pattern on their head. The Woodcock has stripping that extends from side to side while the Common Snipe has stripping that goes from front to back.

Woodcocks are crepuscular, which means they are most active during the twilight hours just after sunset and to a lesser extent just before sunrise. Each spring near dusk, as it has done since before recorded history, the male woodcock performs one of the most elaborate courtship flights know in the bird world. As the female stands nearby on the edge of a small clearing, the male begins his mating dance with a loud call that sounds like he is saying “peent”. Suddenly and without warning the male woodcock launches himself into the evening sky.

Peenting turns to a twittering noise as he ascends. The twittering noise is created mechanically by wind rushing through his outer primary fight feathers on each wing. Reaching an altitude of nearly 300 feet the timber doodle flies in circles high above the watching female. Round and round he goes uttering a canary-like song, until again without warning he drops from the sky like a rock. Near the ground he extends his wings and flutters to the ground. Landing nearly the same spot he launched from, the male woodcock begins the nasal peenting call again. He will continue this routine until after dark and sometimes all night if the moon is full.

Even though the male and female woodcock look identical, only the male flings himself against the evening sky in his vertical-mating dance. Several males might display in a small woodland opening hoping to attract as many females and possible. A lucky male might mate with several females.

After mating, a female will go off to scrape out a shallow depression in the ground and lines the nest with a few twigs and grass. She will lay 4 buff brown eggs and incubates them for 20-21 days. Most nests are located within 100-200 yards of the male’s display ground.

After the young hatch, she alone raises the young. Each baby woodcock eats its own weight in earthworms every day. Their diet is supplemented with insects and seeds.

To witness the splendid springtime goings-on of the woodcock, head out to your favorite clearing in the woods about 20 minutes after sunset and look and listen for the call and display flight of the timber doodle. Until next time…