American Woodcock

Here's someone I didn't expect to see (and barely did see, as you'll be able to tell from my photo): an American Woodcock.

I have to admit I'm not sure how these birds operate. They eat worms and other invertebrate from the ground, using their long beaks to explore under leaves and other debris. And they are apparently in NJ during the winter. But they're supposed to be susceptible to starvation if there's snow cover or temperatures that freeze the ground, so I'm not sure how they make it through a historical NJ winter. [1]

They're known for the male's elaborate courting ritual, though that's more of an early spring activity. I'm skeptical I'd see that in December even if a male and female were in this area.

Woodcocks are technically shorebirds, but that indicates who their relatives are, not how they live. Their closest North American relative is the Wilson's Snipe.

Here's my picture of the little fella, surprisingly well camouflaged against the leaf litter. I got a couple pictures before the woodcock snuck away on me. I didn't even notice it had left until I realized I couldn't spot it. (It's possible that it was still in the general vicinity but was hiding even better than this.)

December 10, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 174068871, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] Admittedly our winters are getting warmer, but even a few days of being unable to forage sounds like it would be pretty dangerous in winter. Perhaps the range maps indicate that American Woodcocks can be found in NJ on the fringes of winter, either before it gets too cold or after the worst of winter is over?

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