Woodcock use their bills, perfect for piercing through the soil, to find and eat worms and insects. Their buff bellies and black-and-tan, ... behavior, migratory routes and reproduction.

Woodcock also have other unique physiologic traits that make them efficient at their tasks. ... That tight-holding behavior also means they can be effectively hunted with close-working flushing dogs.

A woodcock’s beak has a prehensile tip. Imagine a long skinny pair of needlenose pliers, but where the last third of one side includes an additional hinge and you’re close to the idea.

A study of the woodcock’s migration habits and patterns by the University of Maine, in collaboration with some other research organizations, is turning up some useful and interesting data.

The American woodcock thrives in open, meadow-like spaces. Getty Images/500px Plus. The short-legged bird’s population is dwindling due to habitat loss and changing ecosystems.