Twelve people in parkas and hats, smiling at the camera in front of the doors to a small building.

words by Lauren Kostas

Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie at dusk was much louder and livelier than I expected as our group of 18 birders gathered in the gloaming. The 30-plus acre preserve, a precious remaining sliver of tall-grass prairie, was humming.

There were appropriately named Western Chorus Frogs singing and plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds proclaiming their presence. A variety of ducks and geese were flying overhead in loose, morphing v-formations. The moon was high and the sun was still emitting a coppery light along the horizon.

Humans sporting binoculars were also part of the scene. Several small groups and individuals spread out across the soggy grassland. We were all waiting for twilight in anticipation of hearing and seeing male American Woodcocks.

American Woodcock. *Photo by Matt Zuro, Wolf Road Prairie, April 24, 2023.*

The American Woodcock is a plump, sturdy little shorebird with a long bill that prefers poking around leafy fields and forest floors to the actual shore. Its rhythmic wiggle and walk is featured in countless Instagram posts and musical memes (surprisingly often to “Staying Alive”). But it wasn’t the walk that brought us out that cool evening. It was the woodcock’s dramatic mating display.

Seasoned birder and trip leader Sammy Cabindol was our guide. Our group included many beginner birders, while others were looking for a “lifer.” We had come from all over Chicago—from South Loop to Edgewater—to experience the distinctive spring ritual of the American Woodcock.

While we walked from the interpretation center out on the path, Sammy previewed what we hoped to see that evening. Woodcocks woo just after the sun dips below the horizon. The males call out “peent,’ directing females to look to the sky. Then these little tornadoes zoom up, as if shot from a cannon. At the apex, they dive back to the ground, the wind in their wing feathers creating a whirring sound, to complete the spectacle.

Seen from the front and above, a bird with a long narrow bill nearly as long as its football-shaped body. The bird has white stripes running from its bill the length of its dark brown body. The stubby tail has an orange band at the tip. — Wilson’s Snipe. *Photo by Jeff Bilsky, Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, April 18, 2020.*

Lucky for us, we observed five woodcocks exhibiting their idiosyncratic display that evening. The “peents” were loud and clear, and the birds’ flights were fast, high and over too soon. We craned our necks and eagerly pointed as the daring aerialists crossed the sky.

In addition to the star attractions, we spotted Wood Ducks, a pair of Northern Shovelers, Killdeer and Wilson’s Snipe. A low-flying Short-eared Owl elicited oohs and aahs. Several sparrows (House, American Tree, Swamp and Tree) were on view as well. In all, the group recorded 24 species.

Field Trip Recap: Woodcock Walk at Air Station Prairie