American Woodcock

The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) measures between 7 and 11 inches in length. It has a very long bill and a large head. The big eyes, placed far back and high on its head, give the American Woodcock a wrap-around field of vision. This is a secretive bird that can sometimes be seen thumping its feet on the moist ground in the hope of arousing earthworms below. It feeds primarily on worms, which it captures by probing its long bill into the ground. The woodcock nests on the ground in a lining of leaves.

Read the rest of this article in Wildfowl Carving Magazine’s Fall 2014 issue!