Eurasian Woodcock

It sure has a funny name but believe us when we say this it is a one serious and drab colored forest bird. Back in the hunting days, these guys were highly prized as shooting one would earn the hunter the reputation of having amazing reflexes. The reason is that, as a hunter stalks the forests, most birds fly off from a good distance away. But not this guy. These guys stay put till the last possible moment and sometimes fly away only when you are about step on them. And indeed so well camouflaged they are that you can't see them even from a few feet. Their flight is also a rather quick and erratic. Hence, the need for really strong reflexes and sharp-shooting skills, if you want to shoot one of these guys. But enough of hunting. These guys are kind of interesting in that their eyes are set so far back that they have a very good 360-degree vision. They are also weird in that they 'squeak like a mouse, grunt like a pig, hide in leaf litter and only fly at night'. And when a woodcock does all of the above, they are 'roding' or showing off their skills to prospective females during the mating season.