Woodcock Movements and Habitat Utilization in Central Alabama

Abstract

Seventeen American woodcock (Philohela minor) were telemetrically studied during the winters of 1973-75 on a 211-ha farm in Lee County, Alabama. Data from 10 males and 7 females were used to study movements and habitat utilization. Radio-marked woodcock used mixed hardwood-pine and adjacent bottomland hardwood cover types as diurnal habitat. Activity center stem densities averaged 3,818 ?356 (SE) stems/ha for midstory I and 3,997 ? 450 stems/ha in midstory II. Ground cover in the activity centers consisted of 53 ? 4% leaf litter and/or bare soil. Diurnal home range size averaged 9.2 ? 2.3 ha. Half the nocturnal locations were in permanent openings and half were in woodlands. Woodcock were consistently active during daylight hours. Crepuscular flights averaged 183 ? 28 m distance. Nocturnal movement was less than diurnal movement although the difference was not significant. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 43(2):414-420 Managing woodcock for hunting requires analysis of the habitat types utilized by the bird. Quantitative descriptions of woodcock habitat are available for much of the northern portion of the bird's range, but Owen et al. (1977) noted the paucity of information concerning woodcock habitat needs and availability on their southern wintering grounds. Emlen (1956) suggested that differences between preferred and avoided habitats might be associated with vegetational structure rather than specific composition. In statewide surveys in Alabama we had observed numerous woodcock in a variety of forest habitats. The only apparent similarity in variable floristic communities was vegetational structure. Midstory stem density and percent ground cover seemed to be important structural aspects of diurnal woodcock coverts. Telemetric studies of woodcock wintering in east-central Alabama were begun in 1972 and continued through the winter of 1975. Investigators indentified and described diurnal and nocturnal habitat used by woodcock, and measured movements of radio-tagged birds within these habitats. Emphasis was placed on quantitative descriptions of vegetation types utilized most often by instrumented birds. We are especially indebted to P. E. Crow, Jr. for use of his farm as a study area. This study was funded by the Alabama Department of Conservation, Division of Game and Fish, through the Alabama Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit and by the Agricultural Experiment Station of Auburn University.