See the Dance of the American Woodcock

Visit Cleveland Metroparks this spring and see and hear the elaborate song and dance of the American woodcock.

Everyone is invited to witness this amazing song and dance spring ritual of American woodcocks, and learn more about their lifestyles and mating habits by attending the following free programs in April:

Woodcock Watch

Friday, April 13, 8 - 9 p.m.
Royalview Picnic Area, Mill Stream Run Reservation

Join Naturalist John Miller to experience the spectacular flight of this woodland sandpiper and learn what the bird hopes to accomplish with his "peenting," twittering and chirping. Royalview Picnic Area is located off Royalview Lane in Mill Stream Run Reservation, off Valley Parkway, just south of Royalton Road/Route 82 in Strongsville. For more information, call 440-526-1012.

Friday, April 20, 8 - 8:45 p.m.
Buzzard Roost, Hinckley Reservation

Join Naturalist Jenny McClain to experience the spectacular spring performance of the male woodcock. Participants can listen for the distinctive call, watch the sky dance, and learn about the amazing adaptations for survival. Buzzard Roost is located at the corner of State Road and West Drive in Hinckley Reservation in HinckleyTownship. For more information, call 440-526-1012.

The American woodcock is a rotund little bird with a long beak that is used to pull earthworms out of the mud, and lives in forests. The male woos his mate with an elaborate song and dance ritual that is one of spring's birding delights. Woodcocks can be heard in the eastern United States and Canada in March and April, and can continue to be heard in some northern sites in May. These spectacular sky dances take place around dusk.