NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan’s Bryant Park has become an unexpected wildlife spectacle as American woodcocks make their annual spring migration stop, enchanting city residents with their peculiar charm.
These distinctive birds, recognized for their rhythmic bobbing movements and distinctive kazoo-style vocalizations, have been captivating visitors to the Midtown Manhattan park since their arrival in late March. Each day, crowds of onlookers gather hoping to observe these grapefruit-sized creatures as they probe the earth with their elongated beaks searching for earthworms.
“It’s a very charismatic bird. I mean, it’s goofy-looking. It’s got eyes that are always looking at you no matter where you are. It does this nice little dance when it’s nervous,” said Bill Rankin, a Yale University professor who stopped by the park. “Having two of them together is a kind of nice little romantic story of spring.”
These migratory visitors make Bryant Park a regular stopover each year during their northward journey in early spring. The birds possess an unusual appearance that seems pieced together from various species — featuring plump bodies, oversized eyes, and slender, extended bills. Some enthusiasts refer to them by nicknames like “timberdoodles” or “bogsuckers.”
This year’s gathering has drawn larger audiences than typical, largely due to viral social media content featuring videos and photographs of the birds. Daily assemblies of wildlife enthusiasts armed with smartphones and cameras stretch their necks for glimpses of the birds’ amusing gait, while generally keeping a courteous distance.
The characteristic movement that propelled the woodcock to internet fame involves a swaying motion combined with head bobbing. While some admirers interpret this as courtship behavior, researchers offer alternative explanations. Scientists suggest it could serve as a predator deterrent or food-gathering strategy.
“What you’re seeing in Bryant Park when it’s sitting around when these crowds are looking at it, is mostly a little bit of foraging behavior,” said Andrew Farnsworth, a scientist with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “A little of roosting and stretching, and then some of this sort of, you know, kind of sensory stuff looking around, and a little bit of deception, too.”
The male woodcock’s mating ritual presents another remarkable spectacle. Males produce a buzzing sound that birdwatchers characterize as a “meep” or “peent” before launching into erratic nighttime flights designed to attract females.
The Manhattan woodcocks are expected to resume their northward migration around mid-April. Their widespread appeal has created educational opportunities about conservation challenges they encounter, including fatal collisions with building windows, according to Ryan F. Mandelbaum, a New York City naturalist and author of the book “Wild NYC: Experience the Amazing Nature in and around New York City.”
Although not classified as endangered, American woodcock populations have decreased over recent decades.
“I was also heartened to see that people are engaging with the conservation threats around light pollution and glass that woodcocks face,” Mandelbaum said. “I love the community and shared joy that’s been emerging from people seeing the bird.”
