Bird of the Year – the Eurasian woodcock

The Eurasian woodcock is relatively large wader bird living in our forests. The bird has largely black and brown feathers and relatively short legs in terms of waders. The Eurasian woodcock has excellent camouflage and a secretive lifestyle, making any rare meeting with it in our forests during the daytime a random occurrence. Only in spring, during the mating season, can male birds be seen more often while on their territorial flights at dusk.

The Estonian Ornithological Society was founded on 1 May 1921. For more than a hundred years, the society has contributed to researching, protecting, and raising awareness about our birds. Today, the Estonian Ornithological Society with its more than 600 members is one of the largest nature conservation organisations in Estonia and the cooperation partner of BirdLife International, an international bird conservation organisation.  We continue to stand for the well-being of the Estonian birds.

The Estonian Ornithological Society has been selecting the Estonian Bird of the Year since 1995. The Eurasian woodcock is the twenty-eighth Bird of the Year (eoy.ee/metskurvits).