09/07/2026
We always think of woodcock nesting in woodland, but recently there are several groups now monitoring woodcock breeding on open moorland and this excellent article describes this on the North Pennines. It is also well worth reading because embedded in the article is fabulous footage of an adult and well grown young feeding on worms filmed by the author Emily Anne Graham.
In all my years of ringing and studying our overwintering woodcock here in Wales it has become apparent that the more we learn the more questions emerge about this highly secretive bird. For many years it has been accepted that woodcock chicks are precocial and self-feeding. So, this, I suspect unique, footage showing them being fed worms to quite mature chicks is fascinating.
Very young woodcock chicks have short beaks that make it impossible for them to probe for worms. A discussion with GWCT’s Dr Andrew Hoodless our leading authority of woodcock revealed that he has studied woodcock chick diets and found they fed mostly on spiders and beetles for their first few weeks, however, we know that adults mostly feed on earthworms. As the beaks of juveniles grow, they are more able to probe for worms, could it be that they need to develop a taste for worms and acquire the skills to successfully probe for them. This can only happen if they are fed worms by an adult and observe how to probe for them.
Interestingly in this film one chick is being fed whilst the other attempts to probe but with little success.
Emily Graham on Scribehound Countryside - Unlock the hidden world of woodcock, as firsthand stories and unexpected discoveries reveal why protecting undisturbed moorlands is vital for these mysterious...
