
Photo: (c) Guy Babineau, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Scolopax rusticola
Diet
Invertebrates
Habitat
Woodland
Range
Temperate and subarctic Eurasia; Asian populations migrate to the Indian subcontinent
Clutch size
1–2 white or creamy blotched eggs
Incubation period
21–24 days
Size
33–38cm including the 6–8cm bill
Wingspan
55–65cm
The Eurasian woodcock is a medium-small wading bird of temperate and subarctic Eurasia, 33–38 cm long including a straight bill of 6–8 cm, with a wingspan of 55–65 cm. It has cryptic camouflage to suit its woodland habitat, with intricately patterned reddish-brown upperparts and buff underparts, and the head is barred with black, not striped as in its close relatives the snipes. The male performs a courtship flight called roding at dusk in spring (Wikipedia, general species account).
About a third of the world's woodcock breed in Europe, with over 90% of the continent's population in Russia and Fennoscandia. Northern and Asian populations migrate, to southern Europe and the Indian subcontinent respectively. A single brood of one or two white or creamy eggs with light brown and grey blotches is laid, and incubation, by the female alone, lasts 21–24 days (Wikipedia, general species account).