Specimen of the Month: Timberdoodle Territory
Inspiration for the current Specimen of the Month arrived just after this spring's glorious snow storm. A small bird cautiously lingered, almost camouflaged in the barely-exposed leaf litter, as various cars drove along Garmisch Road one April evening. While the bird was inconspicuous enough at first glance, my head swiveled back to confirm that I indeed observed a rotund body and beak like chopsticks. This was a bird dear to my heart--one whose mating dance has been the subject of many recollections from lovers of Wisconsin nature. May will be a month to recognize the American woodcock, appropriately nicknamed the timberdoodle for its odd looks and behaviors.
This is a great time to learn about woodcocks, for spring is when they court each other with a fantastic display. Males have established territory and much like male suitors of our own species, prefer to venture out at nighttime to show off for the ladies. Try an evening of seeking out the woodcock's mating ritual while mosquitoes are still at bay and temperatures are no longer bone-chilling.
Woodcocks are shorebirds, although they are more comfortable near forests and fields. It's easiest to locate them at dusk, when males produce a nasally peent call as they begin the mating display. The note can carry some several hundred yards and this buzzy, repeated call indicates that he will promptly launch upward through the thicket. While he is on his way up, spectators can listen for the twittering flight sound of feathers beating in the crisp, dark air. The woodcock flies in a quirky pattern before spiraling down to land. The peent begins again, and hopefully a lonely female has taken notice. Thankfully for the males seeking a mate in Northern Wisconsin, this area actually has some of the most productive woodcock breeding habitat in the country.
While spending one May shuttling to and from Stockton Island among hordes of school children, I listened to a professor describe the secret of stalking a woodcock during such a display. At the moment a peent is heard, drop to the ground and listen closely. The woodcock should land from its flight in the same relative spot that it took off from. So, while it is up in the air, carefully crawl forward towards the bullseye. As he takes off each time, inch closer in hopes of capturing a look at the bird's silhouette. Remember to remain careful enough to both keep from disturbing him and to also keep from jabbing foliage into concentrated eyes. While this spectatorship may require some effort, witnessing a woodcock's mating display is truly a bucket list item!
With a visit to the Museum, perhaps to experience the recently-debuted exhibit highlighting native bee species, take a moment to look at our woodcock specimen. Not everyone may have the ability to meet one in the wild, but the Museum preserves a few taxidermy mounts and a skull for viewing. Woodcocks are odd looking creatures. Lengthy bills help to probe the ground for their primary food source of earthworms--and a robin's doesn't even compare. I liken these bills to chopsticks, and the holes punctured into soil are enough to leave signs of a woodcock's feast. Take a look at the Specimen of the Month and notice also the placement of its dark eyes. The positioning far back on the side of a woodcock's head create a wide field of vision to spot predators. Buff, brown, and gray plumage help it to hide, or make a sighting difficult for onlookers in our cars. Find a chance to stop by the Museum for a close look at one of our more oddball specimens.
This is a great time to learn about woodcocks, for spring is when they court each other with a fantastic display. Males have established territory and much like male suitors of our own species, prefer to venture out at nighttime to show off for the ladies. Try an evening of seeking out the woodcock's mating ritual while mosquitoes are still at bay and temperatures are no longer bone-chilling.
While spending one May shuttling to and from Stockton Island among hordes of school children, I listened to a professor describe the secret of stalking a woodcock during such a display. At the moment a peent is heard, drop to the ground and listen closely. The woodcock should land from its flight in the same relative spot that it took off from. So, while it is up in the air, carefully crawl forward towards the bullseye. As he takes off each time, inch closer in hopes of capturing a look at the bird's silhouette. Remember to remain careful enough to both keep from disturbing him and to also keep from jabbing foliage into concentrated eyes. While this spectatorship may require some effort, witnessing a woodcock's mating display is truly a bucket list item!
With a visit to the Museum, perhaps to experience the recently-debuted exhibit highlighting native bee species, take a moment to look at our woodcock specimen. Not everyone may have the ability to meet one in the wild, but the Museum preserves a few taxidermy mounts and a skull for viewing. Woodcocks are odd looking creatures. Lengthy bills help to probe the ground for their primary food source of earthworms--and a robin's doesn't even compare. I liken these bills to chopsticks, and the holes punctured into soil are enough to leave signs of a woodcock's feast. Take a look at the Specimen of the Month and notice also the placement of its dark eyes. The positioning far back on the side of a woodcock's head create a wide field of vision to spot predators. Buff, brown, and gray plumage help it to hide, or make a sighting difficult for onlookers in our cars. Find a chance to stop by the Museum for a close look at one of our more oddball specimens.