American Woodcock

About the American Woodcock

The American Woodcock is a shorebird that left the shore. It lives in damp woods and fields, probing the soil for earthworms with a long, flexible-tipped bill that can open at the end while it is still buried in the ground.

Its eyes sit high and far back on the head, which lets it watch for danger in nearly every direction while it feeds. In late winter males perform a famous sky dance at dusk, spiraling high into the air with twittering wings and tumbling back down with liquid chirps.

Woodcock are hard to find in Central Texas at any season and are rarely seen in summer. These photographs were made at dusk on July 28, 2022, at Soil Conservation Site 13a Reservoir in Williamson County.