Eurasian Woodcock

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Silhouette: Craig Nash · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Bavarian Forest National Park
80 Verified sightings at Bavarian Forest National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,309 Verified sightings across all 29 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Eurasian Woodcock

The Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is a medium-small wading bird found in temperate and subarctic Eurasia. It has cryptic camouflage to suit its woodland habitat, with reddish-brown upperparts and buff-coloured underparts. Its eyes are set far back on its head to give it 360-degree vision and it probes in the ground for food with its long, sensitive bill, making it vulnerable to cold weather when the ground remains frozen.

The male performs a courtship flight known as "roding" at dusk in spring. It is widely believed that the female will sometimes carry chicks between her legs whilst flying, though evidence of this is purely anecdotal. The world population is estimated to be 14 million to 16 million birds.

The Eurasian woodcock was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the current binomial name Scolopax rusticola. The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock. The specific epithet rusticola is the Latin name of a gamebird mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Marcus Valerius Martialis. It was possibly a grouse. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. Its closest relatives... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Bavarian Forest National Park

Common Snipe
LC

Common Snipe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinago gallinago

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Common Greenshank
LC

Common Greenshank

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa nebularia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Eurasian Curlew
NT

Eurasian Curlew

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numenius arquata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Common Sandpiper
LC

Common Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actitis hypoleucos

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ruff
LC

Ruff

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris pugnax

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Green Sandpiper
LC

Green Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa ochropus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Wood Sandpiper
LC

Wood Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa glareola

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red-necked Phalarope
LC

Red-necked Phalarope

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalaropus lobatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Spotted Redshank
LC

Spotted Redshank

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa erythropus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black-tailed Godwit
NT

Black-tailed Godwit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Limosa limosa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Dunlin
NT

Dunlin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris alpina

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Common Redshank
LC

Common Redshank

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa totanus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
2 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
3 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
4 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
5 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
6 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
7 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
<5%
8 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
9 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
10 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
<5%
11 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
12 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
<5%
13 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
14 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
15 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
16 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
17 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
18 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
19 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Insufficient data
20 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
21 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
22 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
Insufficient data
23 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
24 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
25 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
26 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
Insufficient data
27 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
28 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
29 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Eurasian Woodcock in Bavarian Forest National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Woodcock sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park, based on 80 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Eurasian Woodcock in Bavarian Forest National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Eurasian Woodcock in Bavarian Forest National Park in our monthly data.

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