Woodcock: what kind of bird and how it looks, where it lives, feeds and nests, enemies

You can meet a woodcock only in a remote part of the forest, so most people know about the bird of the snipe family from the hunting stories of literary classics. In Russia, the bird is called upland or forest sandpiper. Picturesque plumage, tasty meat make the woodcock a favorite object of hunting. Only an experienced hunter can get a cautious, dexterous bird that can dissolve in the forest, merge with the environment.

Origin of species and appearance

The bird belongs to the snipe family, which is part of the order Charadriiformes. The name has German roots - "Waldschnepfe" ("forest snipe").According to the external parameters of the body, the bird is similar to the rock dove. A characteristic difference is a long narrow beak and variegated plumage in shades of brown, red-brown.

Appearance features:

• dense squat body with short neck;
• thighs feathered;
• weight - 200-450 grams;
• length - 32-38 centimeters, wingspan - 55-65 centimeters;
• smooth straight beak in the form of a cylinder reaches 7-9 centimeters.

Plumage - patronizing type, reliably hides the bird from prying eyes. The brown-brown color of the feather is complemented by spots of gray, black, red color on the upper part of the body. Due to this, the woodcock is not noticeable against the background of last year's foliage and grass, it is camouflaged from the eyes of predators and hunters. The belly is a lighter color in shades of yellow and gray with black blotches. The chick at an early age has a yellowish plumage with brown and black spots.

The wings are wide, in flight the woodcock resembles an owl. The eyes are located in the center of the head, which provides the forest sandpiper with a circular view. Females and males do not differ externally. Coloration is slightly differentiated only in juveniles and adults.

Reference: on each wing of the woodcock there is one characteristic feather, narrow and dense. Feathers are suitable for drawing especially thin lines, therefore they are in demand by artists.

Habitat

Forest-steppes and forest zones of Eurasia are the habitats of the forest sandpiper. The range covers the entire continent from the Pyrenees to the Pacific coast. Outside this zone, woodcocks also settle in Japan, the Canaries, Azores, and Britain. In Russia, the habitat zone begins in the north of the Solovetsky Islands, captures the Black Earth, Volga, Western Siberia, Altai, Primorye.

Most woodcocks are migratory birds.Only the inhabitants of the islands of the Atlantic and warm coastal countries do not leave their places. Woodcocks migrate singly or in small groups. Usually they return to their original place. The migratory period of woodcocks starts with the approach of frost - at the end of September-November, depending on the habitat. Birds migrate to the following regions:

• Iran;
• Afghanistan;
• North Africa;
• south, west of Europe;
• Indochina.

Woodcock lives in the secluded places of forests - mixed or deciduous type. Forest waders settle near water bodies, small swamps, in secluded places with an undergrowth of raspberry and hazel bushes. Woodcock takes a fancy to areas of the forest that look inaccessible due to dense deadwood, undersized ferns.

What does a bird eat?

The solid long beak allows woodcocks to get their favorite food - earthworms. Therefore, for living, the bird chooses the shores of reservoirs, where moist loose soil is densely populated by worms, insect larvae. The wader's diet includes:

• insects and larvae - sawflies, beetles, earwigs, spiders;
• vegetable food - berries, grains, grass shoots, seeds;
• small clams and crustaceans - more common during migration.

The woodcock's beak has nerve endings that detect the movement of living beings in the ground. The bird plunges its beak into the soil up to the nostrils and looks for prey. In the absence of worms, it eats small insects, young greens.

Woodcock starts searching for food at night. With its beak, the bird turns over pieces of bark, foliage, looking for larvae and insects. To search for worms, the forest sandpiper digs in soft humus, cow dung. Plant roots also serve as food.

By the time of flight, the forest sandpiper stores fat for future use. With the beginning of autumn, the woodcock leaves the forest and feeds in the grain fields, extracting roots and seeds. During the day it hides in the forest, and at night it looks for food. Unlike ducks, the small aquatic fauna of the forest sandpiper feeds infrequently, only during migration.

Features of the character and lifestyle of the woodcock

Forest sandpiper is a loner, leads a hermit life. Males and females meet only for the duration of mating, then part. Even woodcock flights often make one at a time, without gathering in a flock. In the mountainous regions (Caucasus), the bird often migrates vertically - in the summer it rises high, during a cold snap it goes down to the sea.

Woodcocks make flights at night, overcoming 300-600 kilometers at a time. As dawn approaches, they look for a forest area in which they spend the day.

The bird's lifestyle is nocturnal.The day is devoted to rest, the woodcock climbs into the thick of the forest, it is difficult to detect it among the fresh and old foliage. Plumage of complex natural coloration and innate caution make woodcocks invisible against any background. The bird hides from predators and hunters, goes out for food only at night. When danger appears, it flies vertically upwards, confusing the enemy. Woodcocks are excellent flyers, sharp, dexterous, making intricate complex movements in flight.

Forest waders practically do not produce sounds, do not sing, so it is difficult to find their habitats. The only exception is the mating season, during which males and females call each other with characteristic sounds.

Social structure and reproduction

Woodcock couples do not form even for one season.The male is looking for a partner, flying at night over the possible habitats of females, and makes grunting sounds, ending in a high whistle. If the female responds, the pair stay together for several days. Then the male flies away and looks for a new mate, fertilizing 3-4 females per season.

The female makes a nest in advance in the most secluded areas of the forest on earth. The bottom of the hole is lined with moss, grass, foliage. Departure from the nest is usually free, the bird can suddenly soar into the air in case of danger. Clutch - 3-4 eggs, incubation time - 21-23 days. The female is engaged in hatching and raising offspring alone. Eggs are beige-yellow with brown spots. During the day, the mother leaves 3-4 times to feed near the nest.

After 7-13 days, the chicks leave the nest and feed themselves, exploring the immediate surroundings. In case of danger, the female leads people or predators away from the dwelling, diverting attention to herself. At 3 weeks, woodcock chicks take to the wings, at the age of just over a month they become independent. At first they keep together, then they settle in one area.

Natural enemies

The camouflage coloration of the woodcock serves as protection against enemies, of which the bird has many. Diurnal raptors do not pose a particular danger, since it is almost impossible to find a forest sandpiper hiding in dense thickets. For woodcocks, nocturnal birds are dangerous, which come out to hunt when the forest sandpiper feeds. Owls and eagle owls are agile enough to catch a woodcock in flight.

The most vulnerable are females sitting on the masonry and feeding offspring. Females and chicks often fall prey to foxes, martens, weasels, badgers, ferrets. Nests are also destroyed by hedgehogs and small rodents carrying eggs and newborn chicks.

A significant part of the population dies during spring and autumn migrations due to the difficulties of the way and the hunters guarding them on the way. Hunting for woodcocks has long moved from a method of obtaining food to a sporting event, but there are more and more people who want to shoot a cautious bird.

Reference: most woodcocks do not live out their lives (10-11 years), die in the claws of predators or at the hands of hunters.

Population and species status

Despite the impressive number of enemies, including humans, international conservation organizations believe that nothing threatens the existence of the woodcock population. The habitat of the bird remains the same, capturing vast areas of Eurasia.

Hunting for forest waders in each country is regulated, trying to protect the birds from destruction and decline in numbers. Sport hunting does not lose popularity, woodcocks are a welcome prey. Stuffed birds, because of their beautiful plumage, are in great demand, woodcock dishes adorn the menu of expensive restaurants.

The main danger to the population is not wild and civilized hunters, but changing living conditions. There are fewer and fewer secluded places where cautious flyers can quietly exist. The regulation of hunting seasons and the protection of nature from the aggressive impact of humans are the main directions for preserving the number of woodcocks.

Bird hunting

The Russian nobility was fond of hunting for woodcocks. The main hunting trophies are valuable meat and skins, from which stuffed animals are made, popular because of the beautiful, colorful plumage. Hunting for forest waders is divided into 3 seasons - spring, before hatching, summer and autumn, before the migration. Shooting of females is limited so as not to reduce the population. It is allowed to shoot males. To attract cautious birds, a decoy is used that makes sounds characteristic of females. The males fly on them on the traction.

Hunting woodcocks is convenient with a dog that will find the shot prey and bring it to the owner.Otherwise, it is impossible to find a dead sandpiper among the grass and bushes. Another task of the cops is to find the habitats of the bird, scare it away, raise it on the wing. At this time, the owner can shoot.

When hunting on traction, the main difficulty is to find places of mass flight of males, skillfully use the decoy. The forest waders caught during the autumn hunt are the most delicious - they have fattened up before a long flight. Woodcock hunting is difficult, requires patience and accuracy, dynamic and very reckless.

Woodcock meat dishes

Kulika meat does not have a characteristic smell of game, so it does not need to be soaked. Experienced chefs recommend cooking woodcock with lard to make the dish tender and juicy. When frying, it is better to use butter (ghee) instead of vegetable oil; meat broth (chicken, beef) is also added for juiciness.

In red wine

One carcass will require:

• pork fat - 50 grams;
• dry red wine - 100 milliliters;
• handful of juniper berries;
• spices.

Prepare the carcass - wash, gently slide the skin. Grate the meat with berries, put thin pieces of lard on top. Put the skin back in place. Put the game in a deep saucepan, pour wine. After boiling, cook for 30-40 minutes (until soft).

Stuffed

To prepare a dish of 6 birds you will need:

• white bread - 200 grams;
• milk - 100 milliliters;
• grated cheese - 150 grams;
• egg;
• greens;
• butter - 150 grams.

Preparing minced meat. Bread is soaked in milk, crushed with a fork. Chopped greens, egg, cheese, 50 grams of butter are mixed in. Carcasses are filled with stuffing, tied with a thread. Spread on a frying pan with melted butter and fry until crusty. Add the broth and bring to readiness in the oven.

It is difficult to see a woodcock, the bird is a true master of disguise. Most people are familiar with the bird from photographs and TV shows. At the same time, nature lovers are pleased to know that large populations of a cautious and beautiful bird, famous in fiction and painting, live in the forests.

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