American Woodcock
American Woodcock has collapsed: down 86% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the American Woodcock
The American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) is a North American member of the Sandpipers & Allies (Scolopacidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the shorebirds.
- Size
- 5–26 in long (13–66 cm) — a probing shorebird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Shorelines, mudflats, beaches, flooded fields and wet meadows.
- Diet
- Invertebrates probed or picked from mud, sand and shallow water.
- Range
- Recorded on 566 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 35 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Scolopacidae · Shorebirds
Notable American Woodcock TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for American Woodcock. See the full index history below.
American Woodcock Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, American Woodcock is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±112%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the American Woodcock Is Detected
BBS routes recording American Woodcock, sized by most recent count.
American Woodcock Population Trend by State
American Woodcock Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
American Woodcock Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 86% since 1968. Many shorebirds have declined steeply, reflecting pressure on the coastal and wetland stopovers they depend on.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.