Abstract
Abstract Based on 356 observations of Woodcock nestings published in the Hungarian hunting and ornithological literature between 1846 and 2019, which also includes published and unpublished personal observations, it can be stated that the nesting dates of Woodcock in Hungary are scattered over a large interval. 47.3% of all nestings registered with exact dates (n=93) happen in April. The second peak of breeding in June does not stand out significantly. Based on the data of the clutches (n=65) reported with known number of eggs, as well as the clutches (n=14) – probably with full number of eggs – found in the Hungarian egg collections, the average number of eggs per clutch was 3.8. Based on the observational data of the Woodcock families (n=36) observed during the study period, the number of chicks per hen was 3.6, of which the hens were able to raise an average of 2.8 chicks up to a flying age.
Highlights
The European nesting population of the Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola L.) is estimated to have 6.89 to 8.71 million females
Based on a breeding biology study conducted in Whitwell (North Yorkshire, UK) from 1977 to 1981, the nesting period began as early as the second week of March (11 March), but the main breeding period started in April and typically lasted until the end of May
According to international literature (Gementiev & Gladkov 1951, Morgan & Shorten 1974, Hirons 1982, Hoodless 1994,), the main breeding season of Woodcock is in April-May, but breeding in March is not uncommon in Great Britain (Hirons 1982, Hoodless 1994)
Summary
The European nesting population of the Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola L.) is estimated to have 6.89 to 8.71 million females. According to population estimation data, a significant proportion of the nesting population (84%) is located in Russia, representing around 6–7 million females (BirdLife International 2016). In Hungary, a larger number of specimens can typically be observed only during the spring (March–April) and autumn (September– October) migration. At the southern edge of their breeding area, the number of hens nesting sporadically is about 10–60 specimens per year (Hadarics & Zalai 2008).
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