American Woodcock Chick
Recently a newly hatched American Woodcock (or ‘Timberdoodle’) was admitted into our Avian Nursery. He won the hearts of everyone and even though he had just hatched, he was incredibly curious; running around exploring every corner of his enclosure.
Did you know that woodcock eggs split lengthwise during hatching? (Most eggs split width-wise!)
Even though woodcocks are technically a type of sandpiper, they live in young forests rather than near shorelines and live on worms and invertebrates that they find by probing their long beaks into the soil. Woodcocks are considered precocial since they are covered in downy feathers and have their eyes open when they hatch. Unlike most precocial birds though, they cannot feed themselves until about a week after hatching. For the first week of life they depend on their mother for this. Watch our little woodcock being fed here.
Our American Woodcock (left) sitting with a Killdeer chick.