Dictionary:
wood·cock (wʊd'kŏk') ![]() |
Either of two related game birds, Scolopax rusticola of the Old World or Philohela minor of North America, having brownish plumage, short legs, and a long bill.
Dictionary:
wood·cock (wʊd'kŏk') ![]() |
Either of two related game birds, Scolopax rusticola of the Old World or Philohela minor of North America, having brownish plumage, short legs, and a long bill.
| 5min Related Video: woodcock |
| Food Lover's Companion: woodcock |
A small, plump game bird with a rich, dark flesh. The American woodcock is smaller than the Eurasian species. Woodcocks are typically roasted without being eviscerated, as the entrails are considered a delicacy.
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: woodcock |
For more information on woodcock, visit Britannica.com.
| Wikipedia: Woodcock |
| Woodcocks | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Woodcock (S. minor)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Diversity | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 7-8 living species |
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localised island endemics; most are found in the Northern Hemisphere, but a few range into the Wallacea. Their closest relatives are the typical snipes of the genus Gallinago.[1]
These birds have stocky bodies, cryptic brown and blackish plumage and long slender bills. Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads, which gives them almost[specify] 360° vision.[citation needed] Unlike in most birds the tip of the bill's upper mandible is flexible.[2]
As their common name implies, the woodcocks are woodland birds. They feed at night or in the evenings, searching for invertebrates in soft ground with their long bills. This habit and their unobtrusive plumage makes it difficult to see them when they are resting in the day. Most have distinctive displays known as "roding", usually given at dawn or dusk.[3]
All woodcocks are popular gamebirds; the island endemic species are often quite rare already due to overhunting. The tiny feathers that are located at the first joint of the woodcock's wings are referred to as "pin feathers" and are much esteemed as brushtips by artists, who use them for fine painting work[citation needed].
The following species of woodcocks are extant today:[4]
A number of woodcocks are extinct and are known only from fossil or subfossil bones. Due to their close relationship to the Gallinago snipes, the woodcocks are a fairly young group of birds, even considering that the Charadriiformes themselves are an ancient lineage. Gallinago and Scolopax diverged probably around the Late Miocene some 10-5 million years ago.
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Scolopax |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| Translations: Woodcock |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - skovsneppe
Français (French)
n. - bécasse
Deutsch (German)
n. - Waldschnepfe
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ορνιθ.) μπεκάτσα, ξυλόκοτα
Português (Portuguese)
n. - galinhola (f) (Zool.)
Русский (Russian)
вальдшнеп, лесной кулик
Español (Spanish)
n. - becada, chocha, gallina sorda
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - morkulla
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
鸟鹬
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 鳥鷸
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) دجاجه الأرض, حمار الحجل
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - חרטומן (עוף)
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
To select your translation preferences click here.
| Woodcox (family name) | |
| mudsucker | |
| sea woodcock |
| Was Mr Woodcock filmed in Nebraska? Read answer... | |
| What was the name of the Nebraska town in Mr Woodcock? Read answer... | |
| Who played John Farley in Mr Woodcock? Read answer... |
| Below average on the woodcock johnson? | |
| What is a flock of woodcock called? | |
| What does the W stand for on the Woodcock-Johnson III? |
Copyrights:
![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Food Lover's Companion. Food Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Woodcock". Read more | |
![]() | Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
Mentioned in