A food migration
If the woodcock has a very long beak, it is to allow it to better search the humus in search of insects that serve as food. A difficult, if not impossible, mission when it freezes (on the ground), which encourages the woodcock to migrate to regions where the weather is milder, in the south of France or Spain, for example.
Generally quite difficult to observe, the woodcock is less discreet during the mating period during which it emits a very particular cry in flight called “the croûle”.
A final term that some also use to designate the hunting of this bird which is unfortunately not safe from a gunshot. However, only during a very limited period in Wallonia, going from mid-November to the end of December.
Several animal protection associations are fighting to outright ban this practice in our country.
What happened to him?
But let’s get back to our woodcock discovered at the foot of Notre-Dame Cathedral. We don’t know exactly what could have caused his death. It cannot be ruled out that she was chased away in mid-flight by one of the peregrine falcons living in one of the cathedral towers. Which could have released its prey for some unknown reason.
“The most probable hypothesisaccording to Benoit Gauquie, would be that the bird violently hit a window while flying at dusk.”
If you are faced with this type of discovery, it is recommended to check if the bird is wearing a ring. If possible, take the latter, flatten it and stick it on a sheet with transparent adhesive or transcribe the inscription on it. Also specify the following information: the place and date where the bird was found, the state in which it was (dead, injured, sick, skeleton, etc.), and if possible the species. Send everything to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Ringing Service, rue Vautier 29 in 1040 Brussels (Tel: 02 627 42 11, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and also include your contact details. You should subsequently receive the precise coordinates of the bird discovered. In this case, the woodcock did not wear a ring.
