This is Brodie with Illinois Extension and I’m here with a new “voice of the wild”
Despite being solitary and living in woodlands, this bird is technically a sandpiper and it has their long, probing beak to show for it. Their eyes are pushed back about as far to the back and top of the head as is possible- and Most notably of all, They give a spectacular springtime display - flying upwards into the sky and circling about with whistling wingtips.
This is the American woodcock
The woodcock looks strange and in a recording they sound strange. But in the field, on a march evening, the sun setting, a long winter only barely behind you, their calls don’t sound strange at all. Like crickets on a cool fall evening, they simply sound like they belong. FInd a woodcock walk near you to hear it for yourself. And here’s it is again
Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab for today’s sound. Learn more about voice of the wild at go.illinois.edu/VOW.