8.25 inches long. The American Woodcock is a dumpy, short-legged and short-tailed bird with rounded wings. The bill is very long. The very large dark eyes are set high on the bird’s head. The brown-buff head has a dark eyeline and horizontal black stripes on the top of the head descending down the nape. The breast and belly are buff to pale cinnamon in color. The back is gray-brown, with black and chestnut feathering interspersed between two pale V’s. Upperwings are reddish-brown and underwings are brown, with rusty wing linings. The rump is rusty.
The American Woodcock nests in the Omaha area particularly near Lake Manawa in Iowa. It can rarely be seen in Fontenelle Forest along the boardwalk at the wetlands by taking a walk in the late evening during late March to mid April.
The American Woodcock is a nocturnal bird found in wet woodlands or shrubby fields. When flushed the bird takes off explosively with the wings making a twittering sound.
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