How to identify it
Round-bodied, short-necked, short-legged shorebird with a very long bill. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Wilson's snipe · Gallinago delicata
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify American woodcock from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Wet thickets, moist woods and brushy swamps, especially deciduous or mixed woods with dense young growth and moist soil, such as stream-side thickets. At night it may use open pastures, abandoned farm fields and swamp edges. [1]
How it behaves
Hides in forest thickets by day and often moves to open fields at night. [1]
Males perform a high, twisting 'sky dance' flight on spring and summer nights with chippering, twittering sounds; on the ground they repeat a loud, buzzy 'bzeep' about every two seconds. [1]
Probes soft, damp soil with its sensitive bill tip; earthworms are the main prey, plus soil-dwelling insect larvae. [1]
Migrates at night; many move south ahead of major fall cold fronts, and spring migration starts very early. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- New Brunswick — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 4 (New Brunswick) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Nova Scotia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 3 (Nova Scotia) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Ontario — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 6 (Ontario) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Prince Edward Island — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 2 (Prince Edward Island) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Québec — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 5 (Quebec) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Alabama — migratory bird hunting · Woodcock Season 2026-2027 (ADCNR)
- Arkansas — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (PDF)
- Connecticut — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 CT Migratory Bird Hunting Guide
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Florida — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Florida Migratory Bird Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits (FWC)
- Georgia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Season Dates - Migratory Birds (WRD 1-page synopsis, linked from georgiawildlife.com/migratory-bird-info)
- Illinois — migratory bird hunting · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Indiana — migratory bird hunting · Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide 2026-2027: Waterfowl & Migratory Bird Regulations
- Iowa — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Iowa Hunting, Trapping & Migratory Game Bird Regulations (DNR PDF; page numbers cited)
- Kansas — migratory bird hunting · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Kentucky — migratory bird hunting · Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, August 2026-March 2027
- Louisiana — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting Regulations (updated Aug 7, 2026)
- Maine — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maine Migratory Game Bird Quick Reference Guide
- Maryland — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping (official guide, linked from dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide)
- Minnesota — migratory bird hunting · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Mississippi — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Hunting Seasons (MDWFP PDF)
- Missouri — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest 2026-2027 (cached PDF from MDC regulations page)
- Nebraska — migratory bird hunting · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- New Hampshire — migratory bird hunting · Fis 300 Wildlife Seasons and Rules
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- North Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Small Game, Waterfowl and Furbearer Proclamation
- Ohio — migratory bird hunting · Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27 (effective 1 Sep 2026-31 Aug 2027); PDF read from cached copy
- Oklahoma — migratory bird hunting · Crow, Woodcock, Rail, Snipe, Gallinule
- Pennsylvania — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits
- Rhode Island — migratory bird hunting · Hunting and Trapping Regulations (250-RICR-60-00-9)
- South Carolina — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- Tennessee — migratory bird hunting · Summary of Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates | TWRA
- Texas — migratory bird hunting · Woodcock: 2026-2027 Seasons & Regulations
- Vermont — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Vermont Migratory Bird Hunting Syllabus
- Virginia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Game Bird Regulations | Virginia DWR
- West Virginia — migratory bird hunting · West Virginia Migratory Game Bird Regulations Sept 2026-Jan 2027
- Wisconsin — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Seasons PUB-CS-076-2026 (updated 06/08/2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Eastern North America: Eastern Canada and the Great Lakes south through New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Plains, the Southeast, Texas and Florida.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society