Usually associated with moist areas such as streams, marshes, wet meadows, etc. The bill is flexible and can be opened near the tip even when it is beneath the ground surface. The bill tip contains numerous nerve endings, presumably to aid in detecting movement of prey. The woodcock's head is gray and brown with black bars across the crown. Its large eyes are set high and far back on the head for increased peripheral vision, and the wings are short, wide, and rounded to facilitate flying in dense cover.
Sexes are similar in appearance, but the female woodcock is slightly larger than the male.
The woodcock's range is primarily eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf states. The birds breed in the northern part of their range and migrate south in the winter. In late January and February, woodcock begin to migrate north, arriving in the Northeast from mid-March to early April to begin courtship and breeding. Each evening's activities may last 30 to 60 minutes and may consist of 10 to 20 such performances. The singing ground is a relatively open area containing scattered brush, small trees, and shrubs.