American Woodcock

The American Woodcock is a small chunky shorebird found primarily in the eastern half of North America. They are superbly camouflaged against the leaf litter and walk slowly along the forest floor, probing the soil with their long bills in search of earthworms. Their brown-mottled plumage and low-profile behavior make them hard to find except in the springtime at dawn or dusk, when the males show off for females by giving loud, nasal peent calls and performing dazzling aerial displays.