April 11, 2026: Trekking for Timberdoodles
The American Woodcock (aka Timberdoodle) is a plump, odd-looking shorebird with unique quirks that make spotting this elusive bird an exciting adventure! On the evening of April 11, a group of birders met at Chipman Preserve to learn all about this fascinating bird, and to observe the male’s spectacular “sky dance”; a spectacle that occurs only during mating season at springtime.
Although the American Woodcock is technically a shorebird, you won’t find them in coastal areas like their water-loving relatives. Rather, you will find them at wooded edges, in young forests, and shrubby fields. The Woodcock’s cryptic plumage make spotting extremely difficult, as they blend in with the forest floor where they tend to spend their time during the day. The exception to this tendency is when the males show off for females at dusk and dawn, performing their sky dance.
American Woodcock on April 4, 2021 at the Kalamazoo Nature Center Tallgrass Prairie.
This aerial display was the reason for tonight’s bird hike! We gathered in the parking lot to learn about the Woodcock, and specifically how he performs his sky dance. We listened to his buzzy “peent” vocalization, as well as his musical chirps and twittering sounds, to familiarize ourselves with what to listen for when we set off. We also got a taste of how well camouflaged they are. Before hikers arrived, I planted a decoy American Woodcock in the leaf litter behind me. Even upon close examination, only a few people spotted him!
Seth displaying and American Woodcock.
The crowd gathered before the hike.
After our briefing, we trekked through the forest to a point where I suspected we may witness the Woodcock. We gathered together and for the next 20 minutes or so, patiently waited. I enjoy these intentional pauses in nature. They provided us with an opportunity to ground in to the present moment using our senses. With still bodies, we were able to expand our area of awareness, and pick up on calls and songs from other birds, and noises from the other creatures around us, that we may not have been able to pick up on if we were creating more of a disturbance. It also sets the stage for us to hear the very first “peent” of the evening from our friend, the Woodcock.
Posted up, patiently awaiting the Woodcock.
The group just before dusk.
It was a fairly quiet evening, but as the daylight faded, we did hear a Northern Cardinal, Field Sparrow, numerous Eastern Towhees, and a pair of Canada Geese flying overhead.
And then, we heard it. Our first “peent” was heard at 8:37pm. A minute or two after that, we all witnessed the Woodcock emerge from the forest and land in the trail about 40 feet in front of us! Though the terrain and dim lighting didn’t offer great views of him on the ground, we listened with excitement as he vocalized for a few minutes before taking flight to perform his first of many sky dances. We delighted in spotting him far overhead, a few hundred feet in the air, before tumbling back down to earth to repeat the process.
It was an evening filled with wonder, awe, and adventure. Thank you to everyone who showed up! If you missed this event and would like tips or pointers on where you can witness a sky dance this spring, please reach out to me at seth@birdswithseth.com and I will happily help.
A huge thank you to Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy who were gracious enough to let Birds with Seth host this event on their preserve. Please check out their web page and visit some of their other preserves, all of which are free and open to the public. My favorite is Black River Preserve in Van Buren County!
To view our full checklist from this evening, click here.
If you would like to purchase a field guide that contains this species and other similar species, consider the Sibley’s Waterbirds of the Great Lakes Region Folding Guide.
