Oh the American Woodcock and its dance of mysteries.
This plump little bird is native to the Eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is probably most well known for the odd behavior shown above, especially when its put to music. If not that, then perhaps it is well known by this video that seems to make the rounds every so often:
The call the bird gives in the video above is a call given by the male to attract potential mates. The odd walking patterns on the other hand are a bit more of a mystery.
As far as I’ve been able to find (thanks in large part to no longer having access to library databases since I graduated) there are a few theories regarding why they walk the way they do. The best I’ve found postures that the birds use the shifting of their weight to feel for movements of earthworms near the surface of their habitats. this behavior has since become so ingrained into the bird, that it has become a trait which is displayed even when they aren’t looking for food.
Again, it’s hard to really say, not many people are interested in why the Woodcock rocks in its movement.
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