Have You Seen the Sky Dance?

Have you seen the sky dance yet?

Every year, birders look forward to the return of American Woodcocks, Scolopax minor, to their breeding grounds. Woodcocks begin arriving on territory as early as March, in late winter.

The Sky Dance

The best time to observe their famous “sky dance,” a courtship display, is March through April, just after sunset or also before sunrise. Dusk displays often last longer and are the more popular viewing option among birders.

Woodcocks typically perform the sky dance in open fields next to forests or shrubby areas, although sometimes a trail can resemble a clearing enough that the bird may display from the trail. Birders should arrive before dusk, remain still and quiet, and listen for the famous nasal peent call the birds make, as well as the audible “wing whistle” while they are sky dancing.

Don’t approach the displaying males, which often shock with their ability to disappear in the grass before again erupting in flight. Be sure to always observe the ABA Code of Birding Ethics while looking for woodcocks. Calm evenings with mild conditions are best. If conditions are windy, rainy, or cold, the birds may not display or display only briefly.

During the sky dance, the male woodcocks ascend up to 300 feet in the air. The wing whistle sound is made by vibrations in their outer wing feathers. When the bird circles back down, he often lands in the same spot as he took off, before beginning the entire sequence once more. Observing the sky dance is unforgettable.

How to See the Sky Dance

Throughout the woodcock’s range, birders often lead organized walks to observe the sky dance, usually beginning in late March and going through April. Although the sky dance can be observed in the early morning, most guided walks take place around sunset. To find out if there is a woodcock walk near you, search online for “woodcock walk + your town/city.” You can also check on the website of your local birding club, nature center, or state department of natural resources.

If you follow local birding groups or land trusts on social media, they often advertise these events. On such a walk, one can expect the leader to give a brief talk about American Woodcocks before guiding the group to an open field around dusk to listen for peents and, with luck, observe the sky dance. Remember to remain quiet and follow the leader’s instructions to give yourself and everyone else the best chance to experience the sky dance.

Natural History and Other Facts

The American Woodcock’s diet is comprised almost entirely of earthworms. Their long bills are slightly flexible and can feel and then snatch worms underground. Woodcock nests are simple, essentially a simple hole in the ground lined with some leaves and other debris. Woodcocks migrate but not far, moving from the southern U.S. to their northern breeding grounds. They are nocturnal migrants that typically begin northward movements on the first warm nights of February. When still, woodcocks are famously almost impossible to spot with their camouflaged plumage.

Perhaps more than any other bird in the ABA Area, the American Woodcock has a range of fascinating and fun colloquial names, some of which are still broadly in circulation. These names include timberdoodle, bogsucker, mudbat, night partridge, and Labrador twister!

Woodcocks and the sky dance have been the subject of fascination and reverence for many nature writers. Aldo Leopold wrote lovingly about the sky dance in A Sand County Almanac, and Peter Matthiessen also devoted much attention to woodcocks in his The Wind Birds.

With its camouflaged plumage, the American Woodcock can be almost impossible to spot when still.

Range

The core breeding range of the American Woodcock is the northeastern U.S. and upper Midwest. Woodcocks also breed in southeastern Canada, with the edges of their range extending from the maritime provinces to southeastern Manitoba, and the western edge of their range reaching parts of Minnesota and eastern Kansas. Appalachia is the southern edge of the breeding range. The wintering range is primarily the southeastern U.S.

Despite not being a long-distance migrant, notable vagrancy records, mostly from the fall, exist for Bermuda, Mexico, and Western states like Arizona, New Mexico, and California. Owing to its secretive behavior, the species is probably difficult to detect when it wanders off course.

Conservation

As with so many species, the future of the American Woodcock is uncertain, with the population trend in decline. The woodcock is a game bird and managed as such in many states, with regulated hunting seasons. Conservation efforts often focus on restoration of early successional habitat.

The American Woodcock is one of the ABA Area’s most charismatic birds, and the sky dance is one of the greatest natural history spectacles in North America. Best of luck if you seek out this enchanting species, and remember to observe and enjoy from a respectful distance, so that future generations of birders can also have their chance to see the sky dance.

Can you find the American Woodcock?