Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola Linnaeus, 1758

33–38 cmLength58 cmWingspan308 gWeight

This rufous woodland bird is well camouflaged, with eyes set far back on the sides of its head.

Busiest months: October · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Czechia

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Back with intricate rufous patterning
Belly pale yellow
Head with black barring rather than streaks
Bill long and straight, flesh-colored at the base and dark at the tip

Male, female and young

Sexes cannot be distinguished in the field.

Voice

Gives “orr, orr, orr, pist” during courtship flight.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Czechia

Eurasian Woodcock has been recorded at 920 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 71 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom347 records
CHKO Jeseníky – Červenohorské sedloCzechia343 records
Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom324 records

More places

HelgolandGermany234 records
Fair IsleUnited Kingdom183 records
Yokohama – Maioka ParkJapan129 records
Wanstead FlatsUnited Kingdom123 records
Wildlife Institute of IndiaIndia119 records
Elton ReservoirUnited Kingdom117 records
Amwell HMWT NRUnited Kingdom115 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom China Czechia Germany Japan Poland Finland Sweden

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is a medium-small wading bird found in temperate and subarctic Eurasia. It has cryptic camouflage to suit its woodland habitat, with reddish-brown upperparts and buff-coloured underparts. Its eyes are set far back on its head to give it 360-degree vision and it probes in the ground for food with its long, sensitive bill, making it vulnerable to cold weather when the ground remains frozen.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Eurasian Woodcock?

The Eurasian Woodcock is about 33–38 cm long, with a wingspan of 58 cm and weighs around 308 g.

Where does the Eurasian Woodcock live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: widespread subarctic to temperate and montane subtropical moist forests of Palearctic: British Isles north to Scandinavia (except far northern) south to northern Iberian Peninsula, Azores, Madeira and western, central Canary Islands (Macaronesia, northwest of western Africa), east through temperate Russia, northeastern Kazakhstan, northern Xinjiang (northwestern China), northern Mongolia, northeastern China, Amurland and Sakhalin (southeastern Russia), and Hokkaido to central Honshu (northern, central Japan); disjunctly in the Caucasus and Himalayas. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, China and Czechia.

When is the best time to see the Eurasian Woodcock?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Eurasian Woodcock endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Eurasian Woodcock as Least Concern.

What does the Eurasian Woodcock eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Eurasian Woodcock in?

It belongs to the family Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 33–38 cm
Wingspan: 58 cm
Weight: 308 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 192 mm
Tail: 85 mm
Bill: 77 mm
Tarsus: 34 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: widespread subarctic to temperate and montane subtropical moist forests of Palearctic: British Isles north to Scandinavia (except far northern) south to northern Iberian Peninsula, Azores, Madeira and western, central Canary Islands (Macaronesia, northwest of western Africa), east through temperate Russia, northeastern Kazakhstan, northern Xinjiang (northwestern China), northern Mongolia, northeastern China, Amurland and Sakhalin (southeastern Russia), and Hokkaido to central Honshu (northern, central Japan); disjunctly in the Caucasus and Himalayas

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2