 Production of Woodcock Woodlands was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It's between wildlife and its habitat. The natural environment in which it lives is a delicate one. It is a balance affected by constant change. In nature, fire, snow, wind and rain, insects and disease all have an impact on this balance. Succession, the natural orderly growing process of various plants, shrubs and trees occupying a particular site is also an important factor. And we affect the balance through changing land use. What was once open fields and forests is now used for housing and business. What was once productive farmland is now mature woodland. These changes in the forest, whether man-made or caused by nature, affect many species of wildlife which depend on a unique and stable environment for their survival. Deer, snowshoe hare, owl, hawk, roughed grouse and the woodcock are just some of the wildlife which seek the special conditions and vegetation only a young forest can provide. In eastern North America, young forests are disappearing. A number of factors are responsible. One is our success at fighting forest fires. In the past, uncontrolled wildfires created large openings in the old forest. These openings allowed a new forest to begin to grow. Of greater significance is urbanization and development which continues to reduce the amount of land available for fields and forests. A surprising factor contributing to a decrease in young forests is the large percentage of woodlands now in the hands of private owners, more than 8 million in the U.S. alone. These people own more woodland than the forest products industry and federal and state governments combined. The majority of these woodlots, however, are unmanaged and the forest, for the process of succession, is growing out of the stages many wildlife species find useful as habitat. In this way, lack of forest land management becomes a major contributing factor in the decrease of wildlife habitat for some species. In eastern North America, one species that has been significantly affected by this lack of young forest is the woodcock. The American woodcock, or timber doodle as it is commonly called, is particularly dependent upon forests in early stages of growth to satisfy its special habitat requirements. The woodcock population along the eastern portion of its range has declined steadily over the past two decades at a rate of almost 3% per year. Abandoned farms prevalent during the first half of the century created conditions ideal for woodcock habitat, but many of those areas are now grown to forest to mature to support woodcock. A great deal of this land is now in the hands of owners who are unaware of the major role they can play in creating suitable habitat for wildlife. Technically, the woodcock is classified as a shore bird, but as its nickname suggests, the timber doodle is a bird of the forest. The timber doodle is a master of camouflage. A bird's mottled brown coloration and ability to stay motionless for long periods of time are its primary means of protection. Large eyes set far back on the head permit a 360 degree view of its surroundings. Its short, rounded wings enable it to fly through dense cover to escape predators. As a game bird, the timber doodle is prized by hunters and accounts for almost 4 million individual hunter days annually. Almost 2 million birds are harvested. Bird watchers value the woodcock's spectacular courtship display, a sure sign of spring to lovers of wildlife in the outdoors. Its range extends from Labrador and Southern Canada in the north to the Gulf states in the south and from the Atlantic Ocean to the near western states. Within this range are two distinct populations. The eastern woodcock population is the one presently most threatened by habitat loss. Migration north begins in early spring in the southern part of the wintering range. Woodcock do not travel in large flocks. Instead, migration consists of individual birds. They begin arriving in the northeast in late March through early April. Soon after arrival, the male begins performing courtship flights over an opening called a singing ground. These displays last for 30 to 60 minutes at dusk and dawn, and throughout the night when the moon is full. Its spectacular upward spiral carries the bird to heights of 200 to 300 feet before its zig-zags earthward in a swift downward plummet. On the downward flight, the outermost feathers of the male's rounded wings produce characteristic whistling sounds and he utters a series of melodic chirps. Each flight is followed by a ground display. After emitting these paint sounds for a minute or so, the bird repeats the aerial display. The female attracted by these calls appears quietly on the singing ground. Under the cover of darkness near the edge of the clearing, mating takes place. In the northeast, nesting begins in April. Young open woodlands are the preferred nesting cover. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground, lined with a few dead leaves and edged with twigs or stems. Nests are often located at the base of a tree. The female incubates a clutch of four brown eggs. About 75% of all the eggs hatch generally in early May after being incubated for about three weeks. Chicks are able to leave the nest almost immediately after hatching. At two weeks, they can fly short distances and are almost full grown at one month. By early June, most chicks can fly well and are no longer dependent on the female. They will remain in the general vicinity until the fall migration. The daytime habitat of the woodcock is usually in sites having dense protective overhead cover, shielding moist rich soil containing numerous earthworms. The woodcock's long flexible bill allows it to probe deeply into the soft soil in search of worms, which make up more than 90% of its diet. Woodcock may eat up to two times its weight in worms every day. During the summer and fall, woodcock roost at night in fields near their daytime feeding cover. The birds fly into the fields at dusk, returning to their daytime cover at dawn. As many as 40 woodcock may be found roosting in a four acre field. The woodcock life cycle clearly illustrates the types of woodland this creature requires as habitat. Dense thickets, growing and moist soil provide both earthworms and the protective cover in which to feed safely. Large openings with scattered ground cover serve as nighttime roosting areas. Young hardwood areas are used for nesting and brooding and clearings for the courtship displays of males. These distinct habitat types are typical of those found only in a young forest. Woodcock abundance in an area is directly related to the availability and quality of these distinct types of habitat. If a woodland area lacks these requirements, woodcock and other species may be greatly reduced in number or not found at all. Consequently, the maturing woodlands of the northeast represent a threat to the perpetuation of the woodcock as a game species. Forest management techniques, however, can increase woodcock populations significantly. Landowners should be aware that these forest management techniques carried out on even the smallest woodlots can make a major difference in wildlife numbers. The Moose Horn National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Maine was established in 1937 as a migratory bird refuge. It is one of over 400 facilities operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Moose Horn, however, is the only one where the American woodcock is intensely researched and studied. The facility's woodlands are managed chiefly to develop and test methods forest landowners can use to increase habitat for woodcock and other wildlife. Wildlife biologist Greg Sepic heads the development of Moose Horn's woodcock management program. In 1976 we started the project and we started a study here at that time to develop management techniques that could be useful for the small landowner. This eventually developed over the years into a bigger larger scale program where we looked at commercial timber harvesting along with it. Some of the things that we've done is to create clearings. We know that woodcock require clearings so that the male can go through its courtship flight. So we thought by creating clearings in a contiguous forest we might be able to increase the number of woodcock in these areas. And indeed we were successful in that way. There's an area of the refuge now which had very few woodcock. Now it contains 25% of the birds singing there. We also knew that diurnal habitat, the feeding habitat was very important. And we knew that we had to rejuvenate this in some ways. So we undertook cutting strips through these covers about 30 to 60 feet wide in varying lengths. And we found by doing this in some areas we saw woodcock numbers in these covers increased by as much as 500%. We're interested in clear cutting because we want to get that young growth aspen especially in order if we can get it back in a real thick cover. The research activities at Muson are monitored using a variety of methods. In the spring we're interested in what's happening to the males and some of the population dynamics of that particular segment of the population. And we'll use mist nets, long 30 foot long nets about 10 feet high strung between two poles and we'll put those out on the woodcock singing ground. And hopefully if we place them right when he comes into court in the evening, shortly after sunset, we'll catch him in the nets. We use trained bird dogs also in the spring, usually around the 1st of May. Usually we find hens with broods. This isn't too big a chore since there's quite a few. There's four little ones in the hen running around and they've quite a bit of scent and it's fairly easy for the dog to find. We use night lighting and use this during the summer, usually during July, during a heavy rainstorm. We'll go out with the lights and do a field where the birds are roosting for the night. We'll go right into these fields, sign the light on the ground, hopefully find the bird on the ground. Usually we don't, the bird flushes, the bird with little luck and actually 80% of the time if it's raining heavily, we'll come right back to us and get another chance to catch it. And the last thing that we use is what's called a modified shore bird trap. I can best describe these by just saying that they look something very much like a fishware and they work on the same principle. Birds come along, wood come along, the ground come against this fence. It's nice and hode up, it's nice and soft so they can probe into the earth very easily. They follow the chicken wire right into this clover leaf and they can't find their way back out again. Just like a fish can't find its way back out of a fishware. Every bird that we catch is banned at a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Banned with a special number and address is put on the bird's leg. We also take information from the bird including its weight that gives us an idea if it's health. We can tell by looking at the wings how old it is, whether it's a male or female. By measuring its bill we can also tell whether it's a male or female. Females tend to have a longer bill than the male and the females also have a tendency to weigh more than a male, especially in the springtime. We have small radios that weigh about 2 to 4 grams depending on the manufacturer and type we're using. We're attaching those currently to birds, to courting birds, birds that are singing right now, the males, and also to females which have broods that are on nests. We'll follow these birds through the months of April, May, and June trying to get an idea of their habits, their survival rates, what kills them, what we're particularly interested in, and how we can make modifications and habitat to make their survival a little bit longer. We are concerned at first that the radios might harm the bird or if not harm them affect their behavior. I think we've been quite successful thus far in showing that they apparently do not affect behavior. The dominant birds, the male birds which are singing, continuing to sing, the females are sitting on nests normally, and the radios that we've put on the hens that have broods don't seem to be affecting them at all. Forest land management for the timber doodle at Moose Horn has increased its population there. Despite the woodcock's overall decline in the eastern region, results at the refuge indicate that the type and quality of forest lands can significantly influence woodcock populations. It has been determined that newly created young forest is by far more attractive to woodcock than the unmanaged mature forest. Private forest landowners can utilize these same management techniques on their own woodlands, creating productive wildlife habitat for woodcock and many other wildlife species, such as deer, snowshoe hare, and rough grouse. Landowners should understand, however, that undertaking woodlot management to benefit wildlife does take time, requires a long-term commitment, and may not always yield a maximum financial return. The first step in the process of managing woodlands is to inventory the land and to learn as much as possible about the neighboring land. An inventory can be made most easily by using an aerial photograph. Major landmarks, openings, and habitat types can be seen easily. Older photos of the same area can reveal previous land use patterns which may help to find boundaries for the management plan. The next step is to create a sketch map for the most recent aerial photograph. A sketch map helps identify the various types of cover on both the property and adjoining lands and shows their interrelationship. Another option is to make a tracing of the aerial photo on clear plastic using a grease pencil or permanent marker. This overlay becomes the basic map from which a woodlot management plan can be developed. Once the land has been inventoried, goals are set. These can range from considerations having solely to do with wildlife to plans for a commercial harvest of forest products, which takes into consideration management techniques that will benefit wildlife in the area. Not all areas are suitable for woodcock habitat management. Some areas might be better left to benefit wildlife other than woodcock. An old orchard, for example, might be left as a feeding area for deer, grouse, and other species. Creation of a forest management plan depends on the characteristics of the land in question, the land owner's goals, and the time and money available to carry out the plan. In practice, woodlot management to benefit woodcock will be basically the same for small or large holdings. This small property contains the necessary alder thickets which provide feeding cover. The thickets and nearby stands of aspen can also serve as nesting and brood areas. Nearby fields can provide singing grounds in the spring and roosting areas in the summer. However, natural succession will soon make the alders too mature to provide proper cover for feeding. Brush and seedlings will overgrow the fields, making them unsuitable for singing grounds or roosting areas. And increasing maturity in the hardwood stands will mean the disappearance of the proper cover for nesting and brooding. What is now ideal habitat will soon grow and mature into less desirable habitat. The vegetation on the land must be managed in order for the environment to remain suitable for woodcock and other wildlife. This is an example of an alder cover that passes prime for woodcock. You'll notice the stems are horizontal, stems are dying. You'll notice that underneath the cover there's more herbaceous material coming in, plants. In this case, we have grassberry coming in, grass is coming in. It's harder for a woodcock to get through the area. It's harder for a woodcock to probe and find earthworms in the area. And alder cover is only good for about 10 years. This particular cover is probably about 25 years old. It's time to do something about it, it's time to come in and cut it, rejuvenate it so that it's good for woodcock feeding cover again. The best way to maintain alder cover for woodcock is to cut strips through it. A clear cut strip of about 70 to 100 feet next to an uncut area about four times that width is best. The strip should be placed across any wet area or stream. Make sure the harvesting activities do not damage the stream and that local land use laws permit cutting to the water's edge. The differences in moisture along the strip will result in varying densities and growth rates. Alder development will be slower on drier portions of the strip, maintaining openings to be used as singing grounds longer. In moist areas, alder growth will be faster and earthworms will be available later in the summer once the higher ground has become dry. New strips should be cut next to the old strips every four or five years. Thus the entire cover will be cut and replaced about every 20 years. A landowner can reduce the cost of this activity by possibly enlisting the help of a local sportsmen's club to do the work in exchange for hunting privileges. Scout troops, schools, or colleges might consider doing the work for their own wildlife management projects. Small clear-cut strips like this where firewood has been removed are a good method to create openings for singing grounds. As the vegetation grows, this land will later become daytime habitat and still later be used by woodcock for nesting and brood rearing. Creating forest openings where few have existed often increases the number of courting males. The best place for these openings is in the feeding covers. This way singing grounds are provided at the same time feeding sites are improved. Clear-cutting at regular intervals is the best way to make these openings in the forest. It is desirable to spread the management activities over the life of the stand rather than do it all at once. Several cuts should be made every few years in order to provide a continuous supply of openings in young growth. The number of singing grounds required will vary with the amount and quality of other nearby habitats. One or two new clearing should be cut each year until there is no apparent increase in the number of singing males. Established singing grounds should be kept free of new growth unless regular timber harvesting is conducted in the forest. Nighttime roosting sites should be within a half mile of the feeding cover and at least three acres in size. Woodcock prefer recently harvested woodlands, fields of low bush blueberry or hay fields on poor soils. Abandoned farm fields containing small shrubs have always been preferred roosting sites. The birds will sometimes use pastures. Roosting sites can be maintained by mowing. This will prevent woody growth from occupying hay fields or pasture land. Mowing should be done late in the summer to prevent any potential nest destruction. If large fields are unavailable, small fields can be enlarged or new fields created. Clear cutting will create the best roosting sites. Woodcock actually prefer clear cut areas over most other types of openings, especially if the slash is not removed. When any type of forest management work is hired out, it should be specified in writing. Local laws pertaining to forest cutting practices should be carefully checked in advance. These management principles can be applied to very large tracts of land as well as to properties of only a few acres. This old farmland is typical of thousands like it in the east. An inventory reveals the quality and quantity of wildlife habitat and potential forest products. The management plan developed for this land includes cash crops of hay and blueberries, as well as a second growth forest managed to provide pulpwood, saw logs and firewood. The plan is to harvest the wood in a way that provides both an economic return and quality habitat for wildlife. Even very small areas offer management opportunities. This five-acre property is in an area of farmland mixed with a housing development. The owner can provide all of the habitat required by Woodcock, but an inventory reveals that if the land is managed in relation to the neighboring land, Woodcock will obtain maximum benefits from the small lot. The inventory reveals that the neighboring farmer plans to continue to farm and his son hopes to continue to farm the land as well. That means open fields are no problem, but the land adjoining on the other side is being developed for housing, eliminating most of the early growth forest in the area. That means the young forest Woodcock require will be in short supply since the land owner of the five acres has stands of mature forest. With wildlife management in mind, the goals for this wood lot become to create various stages of hardwood growth to maintain some stands of older forest and to divide the management into small units that can be easily handled. The management plan devised is to make a series of clear-cut strips 70 by 200 feet perpendicular to the stream at four-year intervals. These will provide Woodcock singing grounds and deer feeding areas. In seven or eight years, growth in the cut will have created excellent feeding cover for Woodcock, grouse and deer. Songbirds will also use the cut areas. Professional help from a variety of public and private sources is available to Woodlot owners who want to develop their own land management plans. State or county foresters as well as independent or industrial forestry consultants and recommend the best ways to harvest and market wood. State wildlife biologists can be consulted to ensure the timber management is in the best interest of the desired wildlife species. The Cooperative Extension Service and the Soil Conservation Service can provide information on maintaining old fields, planting cover crops and on blueberry and wetlands management. Natural resources personnel can be found through public, cooperative or industrial programs, some at no direct cost to the landowner. The Rough Grouse Society, an organization concerned with improving the environment for forest wildlife, can also assist landowners. The society provides management information through its many state chapters. It seems one of nature's great mysteries, that when we attempt to understand and help our fellow creatures, we ourselves benefit. Through a careful assessment of the land's potential and a commitment to an ongoing long-term management plan, it is possible for forest landowners to create a unique and stable environment for the survival of many species of wildlife. The techniques that have been developed do work, and the rewards are priceless. Production of Woodcock Woodlands was made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If you would like to create a productive woodcock habitat in your forest, this booklet can help you plan your activities. It's available free. Write to Woodcock Moose Horn National Wildlife Refuge, Box X, Callous Main 04619.