There are two management units for the American Woodcock in Canada: a Central population and an Eastern population. The Central population includes the individuals breeding in Manitoba and Ontario, and the Eastern population encompasses breeding birds in Quebec and the Maritimes. Both populations appear to have undergone moderate declines relative to the early 1970s. A possible reason for these declines is the loss of suitable wintering and breeding habitat. The American Woodcock is a popular migratory game bird in Canada, but is particularly sought after in the United States. However, since the 1970s, the harvest of American Woodcock has declined in Canada and especially in the United States. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
American Woodcock populations have been experiencing a long-term decline since the 1960s. Causes of this decline are thought to be due in large part to the degradation and loss of early successional habitat on both the breeding and wintering grounds (Kelley et al. 2008), through fire suppression, urban development, and increased forest succession following land abandonment. American Woodcock prefer young or recently disturbed forest; abandoned farmland mixed with forest is ideal. The species also makes use of open habitat types (e.g., fields, pasture, regenerating clear-cuts) during its life cycle, especially at night.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
