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Woodcock

February 15, 2024

This article is about birds. For other uses, see Woodcock (disambiguation).

The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock, and until around 1800 was used to refer to a variety of waders.[1] The English name is first recorded in about 1050.[2] According to the Harleian Miscellany, a group of woodcocks is called a "fall".[3]

Taxonomy edit

The genus Scolopax was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.[4] The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock.[1] The type species is the Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola).[5]

Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into the Greater Sundas, Wallacea and New Guinea. Their closest relatives are the typical snipes of the genus Gallinago.[6][7] As with many other sandpiper genera, the lineages that led to Gallinago and Scolopax likely diverged around the Eocene, some 55.8–33.9 million years ago, although the genus Scolopax is only known from the late Pliocene onwards.[8]

Woodcock species are known to undergo rapid speciation in island chains, with the extant examples being the Amami woodcock in the Ryukyu Islands and the several species of woodcock in the Indonesian islands, the Philippines, and New Guinea. Subfossil evidence indicates the presence of another radiation of woodcock species in the Greater Antilles; these Caribbean woodcocks may have been more closely related to the Old World woodcock species than the New World ones, and were likely wiped out by human incursion into the region.[9]

Species edit

The genus contains eight species:[10][6][11]

Fossil record edit

A number of woodcocks are extinct and are known only from fossil or subfossil bones.

  • "Scolopax baranensis" (fossil, Early Pliocene of Hungary; a nomen nudum)
  • Scolopax carmesinae (fossil, Early/Middle Pliocene? of Menorca, Mediterranean)
  • Scolopax hutchensi (fossil, Late Pliocene – Early Pleistocene of Florida, USA)
  • Scolopax anthonyi (prehistoric, Holocene of Puerto Rico)[9]
  • Scolopax brachycarpa (subfossil, Holocene of Hispaniola)

Description and ecology edit

 
American woodcock

Woodcocks have stocky bodies, cryptic brown and blackish plumage, and long slender bills. Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads, which gives them 360° vision.[12] Unlike in most birds, the tip of the bill's upper mandible is flexible.[6][13][14]

As their common name implies, the woodcocks are woodland birds. They feed at night or in the evenings, searching for invertebrates in soft ground with their long bills. This habit and their unobtrusive plumage makes it difficult to see them when they are resting in the day. Most have distinctive displays known as "roding", usually given at dawn or dusk.[6][14][11]

The range of breeding habits of the Eurasian woodcock extends from the west of Ireland eastwards across Europe and Asia preferring mostly boreal forest regions engulfing northern Japan, and also from the northern limits of the tree zone in Norway. Continuing south to the Pyrenees and the northern limits of Spain. Nests have been found in Corsica and there are three isolated Atlantic breeding stations in Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands. In Asia the sites can be seen as far south as Kashmir and the Himalayas.

Hunting edit

Some woodcocks have become popular gamebirds. The island-endemic species are often quite rare due to overhunting. The pin feathers (coverts of the leading primary feather of the wing) of the Eurasian woodcock are sometimes used by artists as brushtips for fine painting work.[15]

The cocker spaniel dog breed is named after the bird: the dogs were originally bred to hunt the woodcock.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 351. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  2. ^ "Woodcock". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ^ Lipton, James (1991). An Exaltation of Larks. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-30044-0.
  4. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 145.
  5. ^ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1934). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 278.
  6. ^ a b c d Hayman, Peter; Marchant, John & Prater, Tony (1986): Shorebirds: an identification guide to the waders of the world. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. ISBN 0-395-60237-8
  7. ^ Thomas, Gavin H.; Wills, Matthew A. & Székely, Tamás (2004). "A supertree approach to shorebird phylogeny". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 4: 28. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-4-28. PMC 515296. PMID 15329156. Supplementary Material
  8. ^ Finlayson, Clive (2011). Avian survivors: The History and Biogeography of Palearctic Birds. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 204. ISBN 9781408137321.
  9. ^ a b Takano, Oona; Steadman, David W. (October 2015). (PDF). Zootaxa. 4032 (1): 117. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4032.1.6. PMID 26624342. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  10. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Sandpipers, snipes, coursers". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  11. ^ a b Kennedy, Robert S.; Fisher, Timothy H.; Harrap, Simon C.B.; Diesmos, Arvin C & Manamtam, Arturo S. (2001). "A new species of woodcock from the Philippines and a re-evaluation of other Asian/Papuasian woodcock" (PDF). Forktail. 17 (1): 1–12.
  12. ^ woodcock (bird) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Britannica.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-10.
  13. ^ Mousley, H. (1934). "The earliest (1805) unpublished drawings of the flexibility of the upper mandible of the woodcock's bill" (PDF). Auk. 51 (3): 297–301. doi:10.2307/4077657. JSTOR 4077657.
  14. ^ a b McKelvie, Colin Laurie (1993): Woodcock and Snipe: Conservation and Sport. Swan Hill.
  15. ^ Dowden, Joe Francis (2007). The Landscape Painter's Essential Handbook. Newton Abbot, UK: David & Charles. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7153-2501-8.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scolopax.
 
Look up woodcock in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  • Arthur Cleveland Bent. Life Histories of Familiar North American Birds: American Woodcock (Scolopax minor). Published in 1927: Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum Bulletin 142 (Part 1): 61–78.
  • The short film "Woodcock Woodlands" is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.

February 15, 2024
woodcock, this, article, about, birds, other, uses, disambiguation, woodcocks, group, seven, eight, very, similar, living, species, wading, birds, genus, scolopax, genus, name, latin, snipe, woodcock, until, around, 1800, used, refer, variety, waders, english,. This article is about birds For other uses see Woodcock disambiguation The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock and until around 1800 was used to refer to a variety of waders 1 The English name is first recorded in about 1050 2 According to the Harleian Miscellany a group of woodcocks is called a fall 3 WoodcockAmerican woodcockScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder CharadriiformesFamily ScolopacidaeGenus ScolopaxLinnaeus 1758Type speciesScolopax rusticolaLinnaeus 1758Diversity8 living species Contents 1 Taxonomy 1 1 Species 1 2 Fossil record 2 Description and ecology 3 Hunting 4 References 5 External linksTaxonomy editThe genus Scolopax was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae 4 The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock 1 The type species is the Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola 5 Only two woodcocks are widespread the others being localized island endemics Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into the Greater Sundas Wallacea and New Guinea Their closest relatives are the typical snipes of the genus Gallinago 6 7 As with many other sandpiper genera the lineages that led to Gallinago and Scolopax likely diverged around the Eocene some 55 8 33 9 million years ago although the genus Scolopax is only known from the late Pliocene onwards 8 Woodcock species are known to undergo rapid speciation in island chains with the extant examples being the Amami woodcock in the Ryukyu Islands and the several species of woodcock in the Indonesian islands the Philippines and New Guinea Subfossil evidence indicates the presence of another radiation of woodcock species in the Greater Antilles these Caribbean woodcocks may have been more closely related to the Old World woodcock species than the New World ones and were likely wiped out by human incursion into the region 9 Species edit The genus contains eight species 10 6 11 widespread species American woodcock Scolopax minor large North American range Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola large Eurasian range localized island endemic species Amami woodcock Scolopax mira endemic to the Amami Islands in Japan Bukidnon woodcock Scolopax bukidnonensis endemic to Luzon and Mindanao in the Philippines Javan woodcock Scolopax saturata endemic to Sumatra and Java in Indonesia New Guinea woodcock Scolopax rosenbergii endemic to New Guinea Moluccan woodcock Scolopax rochussenii endemic to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia Sulawesi woodcock Scolopax celebensis endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia Fossil record edit A number of woodcocks are extinct and are known only from fossil or subfossil bones Scolopax baranensis fossil Early Pliocene of Hungary a nomen nudum Scolopax carmesinae fossil Early Middle Pliocene of Menorca Mediterranean Scolopax hutchensi fossil Late Pliocene Early Pleistocene of Florida USA Scolopax anthonyi prehistoric Holocene of Puerto Rico 9 Scolopax brachycarpa subfossil Holocene of Hispaniola Description and ecology edit nbsp American woodcockWoodcocks have stocky bodies cryptic brown and blackish plumage and long slender bills Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads which gives them 360 vision 12 Unlike in most birds the tip of the bill s upper mandible is flexible 6 13 14 As their common name implies the woodcocks are woodland birds They feed at night or in the evenings searching for invertebrates in soft ground with their long bills This habit and their unobtrusive plumage makes it difficult to see them when they are resting in the day Most have distinctive displays known as roding usually given at dawn or dusk 6 14 11 The range of breeding habits of the Eurasian woodcock extends from the west of Ireland eastwards across Europe and Asia preferring mostly boreal forest regions engulfing northern Japan and also from the northern limits of the tree zone in Norway Continuing south to the Pyrenees and the northern limits of Spain Nests have been found in Corsica and there are three isolated Atlantic breeding stations in Azores Madeira and the Canary Islands In Asia the sites can be seen as far south as Kashmir and the Himalayas Hunting editSome woodcocks have become popular gamebirds The island endemic species are often quite rare due to overhunting The pin feathers coverts of the leading primary feather of the wing of the Eurasian woodcock are sometimes used by artists as brushtips for fine painting work 15 The cocker spaniel dog breed is named after the bird the dogs were originally bred to hunt the woodcock References edit a b Jobling James A 2010 The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names London Christopher Helm p 351 ISBN 978 1 4081 2501 4 Woodcock Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required Lipton James 1991 An Exaltation of Larks Viking ISBN 978 0 670 30044 0 Linnaeus Carl 1758 Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae secundum classes ordines genera species cum characteribus differentiis synonymis locis in Latin Vol 1 10th ed Holmiae Stockholm Laurentii Salvii p 145 Peters James Lee ed 1934 Check List of Birds of the World Vol 2 Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press p 278 a b c d Hayman Peter Marchant John amp Prater Tony 1986 Shorebirds an identification guide to the waders of the world Houghton Mifflin Boston ISBN 0 395 60237 8 Thomas Gavin H Wills Matthew A amp Szekely Tamas 2004 A supertree approach to shorebird phylogeny BMC Evolutionary Biology 4 28 doi 10 1186 1471 2148 4 28 PMC 515296 PMID 15329156 Supplementary Material Finlayson Clive 2011 Avian survivors The History and Biogeography of Palearctic Birds Bloomsbury Publishing p 204 ISBN 9781408137321 a b Takano Oona Steadman David W October 2015 A new species of Woodcock Aves Scolopacidae Scolopax from Hispaniola West Indies PDF Zootaxa 4032 1 117 doi 10 11646 zootaxa 4032 1 6 PMID 26624342 Archived from the original PDF on 2018 08 02 Retrieved 2018 11 24 Gill Frank Donsker David Rasmussen Pamela eds July 2021 Sandpipers snipes coursers IOC World Bird List Version 11 2 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved 17 August 2021 a b Kennedy Robert S Fisher Timothy H Harrap Simon C B Diesmos Arvin C amp Manamtam Arturo S 2001 A new species of woodcock from the Philippines and a re evaluation of other Asian Papuasian woodcock PDF Forktail 17 1 1 12 woodcock bird Britannica Online Encyclopedia Britannica com Retrieved on 2013 03 10 Mousley H 1934 The earliest 1805 unpublished drawings of the flexibility of the upper mandible of the woodcock s bill PDF Auk 51 3 297 301 doi 10 2307 4077657 JSTOR 4077657 a b McKelvie Colin Laurie 1993 Woodcock and Snipe Conservation and Sport Swan Hill Dowden Joe Francis 2007 The Landscape Painter s Essential Handbook Newton Abbot UK David amp Charles p 7 ISBN 978 0 7153 2501 8 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scolopax nbsp Look up woodcock in Wiktionary the free dictionary Arthur Cleveland Bent Life Histories of Familiar North American Birds American Woodcock Scolopax minor Published in 1927 Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum Bulletin 142 Part 1 61 78 The short film Woodcock Woodlands is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Woodcock amp oldid 1193985988, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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