Woodcock Courtship

When it comes to finding a mate, the male American woodcock doesn’t mess around. Each spring, the bird performs an elaborate mating dance. LOE takes a walk to view the action.

They’re short, stout, and reclusive. But when it comes to attracting a mate, the male American woodcock pulls out all the stops. Bob Speare, a naturalist with the Massachusetts Audubon Society, takes us to the woodcock’s singing grounds in Ipswich, Massachusetts to watch its unusual mating ritual.