AMERICAN WOODCOCK 71 



left or take a step or two forward, plunge his bill into the earth, and draKv 

 out a worm, which he would swallow, then repeat this performance until all 

 the worms were eaten. 



During dry spells, when the worms have returned to the subsoil, 

 the woodcock must seek other foods. It then resorts to the woods, 

 where it turns over the leaves in search of grubs, slugs, insects, and 

 larvae. It has even been known to eat grasshoppers. Mr. Rich 

 (1907) says that in early spring, before the alder covers are open, 

 it feeds on ants. Frederick S. Webster (1887) reports a singular 

 case, where the crop of a woodcock was crammed full of leaves of 

 a common fern. 



Behavior.— -The woodcock is so nocturnal or crepuscular in its 

 habits that it remains quietly hidden in its favorite covers during the 

 day and is seldom seen to fly unless disturbed, when it flutters up 

 through the trees with a weak, irregular, or zig-zag flight, dodging 

 the branches. When clear of obstructions, it flies more swiftly and 

 directly, but usually for only a short distance, and soon pitches down 

 into the cover again. One can usually follow it and flush it again and 

 again. Toward dusk it becomes much more active, and its shadowy 

 form is often seen flying over the tree tops and across open places to 

 its feeding grounds. At such times its flight is steady and direct, 

 with regular wing strokes; its chunky form with its long bill 

 pointing downward is easily recognized. While traveling at night 

 its flight is quite swift. When rising in flight the woodcock produces, 

 usually but not always, a distinct whistling or twittering sound. This 

 has led to much discussion and differences of opinion, as to whether 

 the sound is produced by the wings or is vocal. I am inclined to 

 the latter theory, for I have often seen a woodcock fly without whis- 

 tling, and many others have referred to such a flight. 



Few of us have ever seen a woodcock alight in a tree, but Mr. 

 Rich (1907) refers to several instances where the bird has been seen 

 to do this by reliable witnesses. Once he himself shot one in the act. 



Voice.— Except during the spectacular song-flight and courtship 

 performance, the woodcock is a very silent bird, unless we regard 

 the twittering heard when it rises as vocal. Mr. Nichols says in his 

 notes: 



The quality of the twitter of a rising woodcock corresponds more or less 

 to the character of its flight. When, as is frequently the case, the bird merely 

 flutters a short distance to drop again behind the screen of undergrowth it 

 amounts to little more than the chirping of crickets. On one occasion when I 

 observed an individual barely escape the attack of an Accipiter, this sound 

 as it rose, was less shrill and loud than often, but more rapid and sustained' 

 with an incisive quality suggesting a rattle snake's alarm. When a woodcock 

 rises through thick brush or brambles its wings make a whirring sound not 

 unlike that of the bob white, accompanied by a slight twitter. 



