British Population Size:
Summer:
78 thousand pairs
in 2003
Winter:
1.4 million individuals
in 2004-09
Note: Best estimate
 
First Record:
Recorded in Anglo-Saxon times
[Fossil evidence from
early Holocene, up to 10,000 yr ago]
First Breeding Record:
S England? early 1800s
Latest Survey:
Hoodless, A.N. et al. (2009) Bird Study 56:15-25
Conservation Status:
AMBER
because
Species of European Concern,
Previous Assessments:
2002-2007
AMBER
1996-2001
AMBER
Races of Concern:
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
No habitat data from BBS
Migration routes:
Map of foreign ringing recoveries
European Population Size:
Summer:
600 thousand to 1.6 million pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WCA(II,III), WBD(II* & III*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
44 x 34 mm
Egg Weight:
26.5 g (of which 5 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
8
Clutch Size:
4 eggs
Incubation:
21- 24 days
by the:
Female
Fledging:
15 - 20days
as:
Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
1
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
Annual Totals
Adult Survival:
0.610
Juvenile Survival:
0.360 (in First-Year)
Age at First Breeding:
2
years
Typical Lifespan:
4
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
15 years 5 months 12 days (set in 1937)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries
Biometrics
Ring Size:
D or E (pulli E)
Wing Length
Adult:
201.2 ± 6.4
Range
173.0 - 227.0 mm, (N = 194)
Juvenile:
199.1 ± 6.2
Range
182.0 - 227.0 mm, (N = 217)
Male:
201.5 ± 5.1
Range
182.0 - 213.0 mm, (N = 28)
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
325.2 ± 45.26
Range
193.0 - 439.0 g , (N =145)
Juvenile:
307.4 ± 29.3
Range
229.0 - 397.0 . , (N =171)
Male:
312.0 ± 59.81
Range
194.2 - 387.0 g , (N =20)
Female:
Insufficient Data
Seasonal:
Summer 300.2 ± 41.03 (N = 34)  
Autumn 301.1 ± 27.75 (N = 149)
Winter 327.0 ± 29.04 (N = 2056)  
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Eurasian Woodcock
Gaelic:
Coileach-coille
Welsh:
Cyffylog
Danish:
Skovsneppe
Dutch:
Houtsnip
Finnish:
Lehtokurppa
French:
Bécasse des bois
German:
Waldschnepfe
Hungarian:
Erdei szalonka
Icelandic:
Skógarsnípa
Irish:
Creabhar
Italian:
Beccaccia
Norwegian:
Rugde
Polish:
Slonka zwyczajna
Portuguese:
Galinhola
Spanish:
Becada
Swedish:
Morkulla
Collective Noun: Fall
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Nethersole-Thompson, D. & M. 1986 Waders, their breeding, haunts and watchers Poyser, London
[598.6 NET]
Hoodless, A. 1995 Studies of West Palearctic birds: Eurasian Woodcock British Birds 88:578-591
Ferrand, Y. (ed) 2006 Sixth European Woodcock and Snipe Workshop (IWS 13) Wetlands International, Wageningen
[598.61 FER]
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar
or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead