March - May

American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey

All skills levels are welcome to help monitor one of Canada’s quirkiest shorebirds – all you need is a keen ear and access to a vehicle.

An American Woodcock on the ground with leaves and branches — ©American WoodcockPhoto: Robert Shortall

Ontario

Quebec

The American Woodcock is a charming and unusual shorebird, known for its quirky walk and loud “PEENT” calls that echo through the forests at dusk and dawn in the spring. Listening for that distinctive call, volunteer surveyors with sharp ears and a vehicle conduct roadside surveys in Ontario and Quebec forests. Like many shorebird species, American Woodcock populations are in decline, and these essential surveys help us understand their populations better.

The American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey is a long-standing tradition in Ontario and Quebec where local outdoor enthusiasts have been surveying routes since 1968. By joining this survey, you help monitor the breeding populations of this unique shorebird, affectionately known as a “timberdoodle”, across eastern Canada and the U.S.

Volunteers are assigned to pre-determined survey routes. Route assignments begin each March and may take several weeks to complete. We welcome expressions of interest year-round — joining the waitlist helps us match volunteers with available routes as efficiently as possible each spring. Before applying, please review the following steps and the information below to ensure the program is a good fit for your skills, interests, and availability.

Ready to help the American Woodcock?

Steps to Become a Volunteer

1. Review the training resources

Decide if the time and survey area works for you

Ontario Resources Quebec Resouces Ontario Route Map

2. Contact your local coordinator

3. Receive a route and a code to sign up

Once you are assigned a route and you have your U.S. FWS AWSGS code, sign up to the AWSGS on NatureCounts, remember to enter your code!

4. Survey!

Survey in the appropriate window for your area and enter the data no later than May 25th

The data you collect makes a real difference

Your data helps track how woodcock populations are changing, shapes conservation goals through the American Woodcock Conservation Plan, and guides decisions across North America—including harvest regulations in the U.S. As with other shorebirds, the species have been facing population declines even though harvest pressure is dramatically decreasing. The data from this survey helps inform management plans across North America that aid in the conservation of this species.

In Ontario and Quebec, volunteers can apply through the regional coordinator to survey an available route. This program is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who partners with Birds Canada to organize the annual surveys in Ontario and to support data entry. If you’re in the United States, reach out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more information or for ways to help.

The Joys of Surveying

American Woodcocks are the most obvious during a short period in spring and best heard just before dawn and after sunset. They are hard to find, so special effort is needed to ensure they are well monitored, protected and not over-harvested. During the surveys, participants survey a designated route, stopping at pre-assigned locations where they tally all the American Woodcocks that they hear making their unique “peent” calls.

Anyone can participate in this fast-paced roadside survey as long as they can hear the calls and have access to a vehicle. It is a great option if you are new to birding or still learning, are an outdoor enthusiast looking for a spring activity, or a naturalist seeking to gain ecological monitoring experience.

These early spring road-side surveys provide highly reliable data, building important knowledge to help ensure that this funny-faced, dancing and worm-loving bird, stays common.