These are amazing birds, and very tough to see. Described as shorebirds that live in a forest, they have long beaks (about 2" long) that they use to probe the forest floor for worms. Handily, they can open just the tip of the beak while it is plunged down in the dirt, enabling them to snaggle a worm without snaggling a mouthful of forest dirt. There are few things in the air that look less aerodynamic, either.
This time of year, just at dusk as the light fades and the stars begin to show, the males come out for their mating display. He gives repeated "peents" on the ground, often on remaining patches of snow in the early spring. They don't just stand there -- the woodcock likes to do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight. After a time he flies upward in a wide spiral. As he gets higher, his wings start to twitter. After reaching a height of 70-100 m (230-328 ft) the twittering becomes intermittent, and the bird starts chirping as he starts to descend. He comes down in a zig-zag, diving fashion, chirping as he goes. As he comes near the ground he silently lands, near a female if she is present. Then he starts peenting again. I found a great video for you!
It's called a "peent" but it sounds more like a "meep" to me. We hear them every spring in the horse pasture, on the open lawns and of course in the back fields. They love the forest, but for their mating display they prefer to be out in the open to show off to their best advantage and impress the ladies. They are very proud of their skydance. In fact, while the male American Woodcock gives no parental care, he does continue to display long after most females have laid eggs. Some males display at several, widely separated singing grounds and will mate with several females. A female may visit four or more singing grounds before nesting, and she may keep visiting even when she is caring for her young.
Cottage Country Reflections: Mystery bird- American Woodcock http://bit.ly/IyWH9z
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