Spring migration of the American Woodcock begins as early as late February and ends by mid-April. Their flights begin rarely before dark and end around midnight. During migration they are particularly at risk because they fly at night and at low altitudes, as low as fifty feet.
This dead bird was discovered on a sidewalk by Joan Schatzman between 5th & 6th St. N.W. in Washington, D.C. around 5 p.m. on March 14, 2008. More than likely, it became disoriented and crashed into a building.
The Woodcock’s range extends from the Southern Atlantic and Gulf Coast states through Southern Canada. Along with the Common Snipe, it is only one of two shorebirds that can still be legally hunted in the United States.
This photograph of a Woodcock with a Lead Pipe was taken in Charlottesville, Virginia on March 20, 2008.