By Kathy Jones, Ontario Volunteer Coordinator, Bird Studies Canada
American Woodcock Photo: Christian Artuso
The 2018 American Woodcock Population Status Report is now available. You can download it at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife website. (Note: “Timberdoodle” is a colloquial name for the American Woodcock.)
Once again, survey support for this project has been outstanding, with 2018 data collected along 89 survey routes. Thanks so much to the survey runners and coordinators for ensuring that the 2018 survey season was successful.
Similar to what was observed in 2017, your data show that the number of woodcocks in Ontario has declined significantly since 1968 (-1.23% change in population level per year), and the rate of decline has increased over the last ten years (-2.33% change in population level per year). With the exception of Minnesota, significant decreases were seen throughout the Central American Woodcock Management Area, which includes Ontario, with populations in the Central region decreasing by -0.96 per year since 1968.
The American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey is a program of United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It is delivered in Ontario by Bird Studies Canada, in partnership with Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
If you are a 2018 American Woodcock Survey volunteer, thanks once again for your continued support of this excellent program. Please stay in touch and let us know if there are any changes to your 2019 survey plans and/or contact information. This will help ensure that the 2019 season gets off to a smooth start. To see some of our favourite memories from the 2018 season, check out this collection on Twitter.
