We in Flanders are not allowed to hunt it, but it still remains an intriguing bird. Especially when we learn a little more about it.

Migratory behavior in particular is impressionistic. From a study by the British Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, we learn the following.

In Britain there is a large winter migration of Woodcock (up to 1,000,000 birds) from the colder northern regions. At full moon in November “Woodcock Moon” large flights can be observed. This is then usually to forage at night on weeds and fields, where earthworms interest them especially.

Interestingly for Hunters, in the UK only 17 % of the birds shot also hatched in the UK. The vast majority (51 % Russia, 32 % Scandinavia) came from regions where they occur in their millions.

A new study is looking at flight paths in addition to the birds’ origins. This is done by Geolocators, small tags attached to the bird’s back. Since the start of the experiment, 51 Woodcock were tagged. Meanwhile, about 7 were recaptured and route data downloaded. On their route, they fly almost 24 hours non-stop (at about 40 km per hour, or about 1,000 km) before resting for about 10 days.

Below is a recap of their surely amazing journey.