Previous surveys indicate the population shrank by almost a third between 2003 and 2013.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is looking for volunteers to take part in a national survey of breeding Woodcock this spring. Previous surveys showed that the UK’s breeding population of these beguiling birds dropped by almost a third between 2003 and 2013. To make matters worse, Woodcock’s UK breeding range has shrunk by more than 50% since 1970, landing the species on the UK Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern.

Woodcock are stocky, pigeon-sized birds with long bills that they use to feed among and under leaf litter in woodlands and on fields. They are superbly camouflaged and often go unnoticed. In the breeding season, the best way to see a Woodcock is to wait until dusk, when the males perform a special display flight above the woodland canopy. Volunteers participating in the survey will count displaying males, helping scientists to build an accurate picture of the size and distribution of the UK breeding Woodcock population.

Woodcock, copyright Glyn Sellors, from the surfbirds galleries

More than 1,000 priority woodland sites have been selected across the UK. Some will be home to breeding Woodcock while others will not. All data gathered by volunteers will improve our understanding of Woodcock declines in the UK, however, informing future conservation work and helping to protect these wonderful creatures.

The survey is a partnership with scientists from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. For more information and to find a survey site near you, head to
www.bto.org/woodcock.

Dr Greg Conway, BTO Senior Research Ecologist, said: ‘Given the steady decline in the UK breeding Woodcock population over recent decades, the results of 2023 survey will be essential for understanding how the population level and distribution has changed since 2013, and targeting future conservation actions.’