American woodcock in Bryant Park, 5 March 2022 (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

3 March 2026

The Shorebird of the Woods, the American woodcock (Scolopax minor), is back in Pennsylvania and putting on his nightly show for the ladies.

American woodcocks are among the first migrants to return north, even in late spring snow.

American woodcock in snow in Maine, March 2018 (photo from Wikimedia)

After the snow melts their cryptic plumage and mostly nocturnal lifestyle make them nearly impossible to see in their preferred habitat of second growth forest and shrubby fields. We wouldn’t know they are here except for their vocal and (dimly) visible courtship display.

On dry spring nights, American woodcocks gather in open areas at the edge of the woods to perform their mating ritual. The males perform a “sky dance” to attract the females while the ladies watch and choose. Depending on the size of the clearing, there may be more than one male woodcock displaying on the “dance floor.” Males are polygamous (more than one mate) so bigger would be better at their dispersed lek.

American woodcock at dusk in North Park, 4 Mar 2024 (photo by Steve Gosser)

In the hour after sunset and the hour before dawn, the male walks and pauses in a clearing calling “peent, peent, peent.” At some mysterious cue he stops “peenting” and flings himself into the sky, spiraling up hundreds of feet before circling back down to land where he started. His wings make a twittering sound on the way up, they chirp on the way down (audio below). If the female hasn’t approached he does it again.

Here’s the whole show, seen dimly in the dark.

See the woodcock’s sky dance for yourself at one of these Three Rivers Birding Club Woodcock Walks in the Pittsburgh area, March 10 through April 1.

• Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM – Woodcock Walk with Conor Tompkins at PennDOT Wetlands, South Fayette Twp near Boyce-Mayview Park. More info here.
• Woodcock Walks with leader Tom Byrnes in Harmar Township, meeting at the same starting location as last year. More info here.
  • Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM
  • Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 7:00 PM
  • Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM
• These outings will be cancelled if it rains, and you will be notified on our social media and website.

It’s the time for a Woodcock Walk!

One More Fun Fact: According to All About Birds: “Some males display at several singing grounds and mate with multiple females. The female often visits four or more singing grounds before nesting, and she may keep up these visits even while she cares for her young. The male gives no parental care, and continues to display long after most females have laid eggs.”