Forest Preserve Hosts 'Woodcock Walk' on Saturday

The Forest Preserve District of Will County has scheduled a “Woodcock Walk” program to showcase the male American woodcock’s extraordinary courtship performance.

The program will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Hickory Creek Preserve – LaPorte Road Access in Mokena. Spend the first part of the evening learning about the woodcock, then hike to watch for the male’s courtship flight.

The woodcock starts looking for love in March. After he finds an appropriate open area, the woodcock begins to call or “peent” while he rocks his body and stamps his feet in what is known as a woodcock walk.

“After peenting several times, he launches himself into the air and starts to fly in large circles going upward over the field,” said Bob Bryerton, an interpretive naturalist for the Forest Preserve District who has witnessed this ritual many times. “While doing this, there is a twittering sound created by feathers on his wings. This twittering sound keeps going as he does large circles over the field and reaches a height of between 200 and 350 feet.

“Once he reaches the top of his flight, the twittering picks up in tempo. It goes faster and faster until he reaches the peak of his flight. At that point he drops down in a zigzag pattern to the ground.”

During this aerial display, the woodcock looks like a “leaf blowing in the wind” as he drops to the ground near where he started, Bryerton said.

“At that point, he will gather himself a bit, look around to see if any females were attracted by the flight and then start all over again be peenting on the ground,” he added.

Participants should dress for the weather and be prepared for a short walk to the viewing area. The free program is for ages 7 and older. Registration is required by March 16; call 708-946-2216. For more information on this program and other Forest Preserve District offerings, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.