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The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) is the only species of woodcock found in Canada, and is also known as the timberdoodle. Woodcock is the name given to eight species of shorebirds of the sandpiper family (Scolopacidae) of the genus Scolopax.
Range and Habitat
Woodcocks occur in open woodlands with damp soil. The American woodcock (Scolopax minor), the only species in Canada, breeds in eastern North America from southern Canada (southeastern Manitoba and southwestern Newfoundland) to southern Texas, and winters in the southern US.
Description
The woodcocks' characteristic long, straight bills are very flexible at the tips and can be opened below the soil surface to grasp prey (e.g., earthworms). The skull is much modified to accommodate the large eyes; hence, the ear openings are located under the eyes rather than behind them, as in other birds.
