Fully feathered and capable of flying at two weeks of age, young woodcocks mature quickly and appear almost full grown at four weeks. They tend to remain in the nesting area until the fall migration begins in October. The history of the American woodcock in Connecticut has reflected the changes seen in the landscape through the last centuries. These areas are used for courtship in the spring and nighttime roosting during the summer and early fall. Young, open hardwood stands dominated by seedlings and saplings for nesting and brood rearing.
Young hardwood stands with a dense overstory and somewhat clear understory.
These areas are used by both young and adult birds for feeding and resting in the daytime. Alder swales and surrounding second-growth hardwood types on fertile, moist soil with an abundant supply of earthworms for feeding. In the northeastern United States, old farms reverting to forests often contain a diversity of cover types. These areas provide some of the best habitat in the Northeast. However, the amount of this type of habitat has declined and is expected to continue to do so.