Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: American Woodcock

Migration is dangerous. Small actions help birds survive.

Although some American Woodcocks remain in Virginia year-round, many are now returning to their overwintering grounds in our region and further south.

This species migrates at night, which makes them especially vulnerable to becoming disoriented by artificial lights. As a result, many of the woodcocks we admit arrive as window-strike victims.

This woodcock may have hit a window or been struck by a vehicle. The trauma was not witnessed, but the injuries told the story.

The bird arrived with multiple fractures in the bones that make up the shoulder joint: the clavicle, coracoid, and scapula.

These bones are responsible for supporting the powerful wing movement needed for flight. With damage this severe, the bird would never regain the ability to fly.

Our team made the compassionate decision to humanely euthanize to prevent further suffering.

American Woodcocks are unusual and fascinating birds.

Despite being classified as a shorebird because of their ancestry and bill structure, they live in forests and fields rather than along coastlines. (One of those fun “nature doesn’t care about our categories” situations.)

They have large eyes set high and far back on their heads, giving them an impressive 360-degree field of vision to spot predators while they forage.

Their long, flexible bills can open just at the tip, allowing them to grasp earthworms and other invertebrates deep underground.

And in early spring, males perform their famous “sky dance,” spiraling upward before fluttering back down in a zig-zag display.

Most of the woodcocks we admit are found in developed or urban areas. Their excellent camouflage works beautifully on the forest floor, but it does little to protect them from windows, cars, or brightly lit environments during nighttime migration.

Although this case ended sadly, we are grateful to the finders who ensured this bird received prompt care, and we are glad we could prevent further pain.

How You Can Help Migrating Birds Like Woodcocks

• Small changes make a real difference for night-migrating birds.
• Turning off unnecessary outdoor lights at night, especially during migration seasons
• Closing blinds or curtains after dark to reduce window glow
• Applying window decals or patterns to large or reflective windows

These simple steps help birds stay on course and avoid the hazards that bring so many of them to wildlife hospitals each year.

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