Photo: Stephan Sprinz / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of England Birds of Bedfordshire Birds of Buckinghamshire Birds of South Yorkshire Birds of Berkshire Birds of Bristol Birds of Cambridgeshire Birds of Cheshire Birds of Cumbria

By family

Sandpipers & Allies of Newfoundland and Labrador Sandpipers & Allies of England

See what's near you right now

The Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 308 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
Genus Scolopax
Species rusticola

Where it lives

Widespread subarctic to temperate and montane subtropical moist forests of Palearctic: British Isles north to Scandinavia (except far northern) south to northern Iberian Pen., Azores, Madeira and western, central Canary Is. (Macaronesia, northwest of western Africa), east through temperate Russia, northeastern Kazakhstan, northern Xinjiang (northwestern China), northern Mongolia, northeastern China, Amurland and Sakhalin (southeastern Russia), and Hokkaido to central Honshu (northern, central Japan); disjunctly in the Caucasus and Himalayas

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 308 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Sulawesi Woodcock

Scolopax celebensis

Near Threatened

Amami Woodcock

Scolopax mira

Least Concern

Solitary Snipe

Gallinago solitaria

Vulnerable

Moluccan Woodcock

Scolopax rochussenii

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Eurasian Woodcock is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of open forest, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Eurasian Woodcock is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in Europe & Northern Asia — widespread subarctic to temperate and montane subtropical moist forests of Palearctic: British Isles n to Scandinavia (except far n) s to n Iberian Pen., Azores, Madeira and w, c Canary Is. (Macaronesia, nw of w Africa), e through temperate Russia, ne Kazakhstan, n Xinjiang (nw China), n Mongolia, ne China, Amurland and Sakhalin (se Russia), and Hokkaido to c Honshu (n, c Japan); disjunctly in the Caucasus and Himalayas.

Songs & calls

Eurasian Woodcock — Flight call, song

Recorded by Jesper Lindegren Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Eurasian Woodcock?

The Eurasian Woodcock is a large bird that weighs around 308 g.

Where does the Eurasian Woodcock live?

The Eurasian Woodcock is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread subarctic to temperate and montane subtropical moist forests of Palearctic: British Isles n to Scandinavia (except far n) s to n Iberian Pen., Azores, Madeira and w, c Canary Is. (Macaronesia, nw of w Africa), e through temperate Russia, ne Kazakhstan, n Xinjiang (nw China), n Mongolia, ne China, Amurland and Sakhalin (se Russia), and Hokkaido to c Honshu (n, c Japan); disjunctly in the Caucasus and Himalayas, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Eurasian Woodcock belong to?

The Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Eurasian Woodcock eat?

The Eurasian Woodcock is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Eurasian Woodcock migrate?

The Eurasian Woodcock is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Eurasian Woodcock endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Eurasian Woodcock make?

1 real field recording of the Eurasian Woodcock — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Eurasian Woodcock's range?

The Eurasian Woodcock has a mapped global range of about 15.1 million km².