woodcock

a kind of bird – wading bird (= lives near water walking in the shallow water for food) – nocturnal (= active at night) – related to the snipes (bird) – plump body with reddish-brown upper parts and intricately patterned (streaked) buff-coloured under parts, small head (without patterns) with a long, straight, pointed beak (bill), stocky body, rounded wings, short legs, short tail; size: American woodcock, 8 inches long, with a 2½-3½ of inch-long beak, and weight, 200 grams, and Eurasian woodcock, 1-1½ feet long with a 2-4 inch-long beak (bill), and weight, 250-425 grams; feeds on (eats) insects, insect larvae, worms, fresh-water molluscs (shellfish), and seeds of certain trees; lives for 8-10 years; 7 species, found in several parts of the world

male ~~ rooster; cock

female ~~ hen

baby ~~ chick

group ~~ fall, covey, plump

voice (call) ~~ whistle; peenting {no particular name, but usually, deep crocks and sharp squeaks}

home ~~ nest

The common names of the 7 species are: Eurasian woodcock, American woodcock, Amami woodcock, Bukidnon woodcock, Duskey woodcock, Sulawesi woodcock and Moluccan woodcock.

Special Features:

The woodcocks have been hunted for sport.

The ‘joint feathers’ of a woodcock’s wings, called ‘pin feathers’ are used by the artists for fine painting work!

The males are known to involve in a spectacular courtship flight called ‘roding’ in which they fly with their wings twittering while giving out deep crocks and sharp squeaks and spiralling down to the ground.

The most interesting feature of these birds is that the female birds are known to carry their chicks between their legs (or on their backs?) when they sense any danger!! {Very few birds have this feature – the other one is the ‘rail’ which carries its chicks in its beak; and a few of the water birds carry their young on their backs while swimming!}

American woodcock is the slowest flying bird – flying at speeds of only 5 mph (8kmh) without falling down!

Woodcocks are a popular bird in Europe and America.  Woodcocks are featured in the names and logos of several institutions and clubs in Europe and America!

Figures of Speech:

1.

woodcock (noun)  =

(a)  a weak-minded but trusting person

(b)  a person who can be deceived easily

2.

Scotch woodcock  =  a kind of food item – scrambled eggs and anchovies (= a kind of fish) on toast

3.

wise as a woodcock  =  to be a fool

4.

one woodcock doesn’t make a winter [said to imply that one point or fact does not prove a whole thing]

5.

as wise as a woodcock

6.

a springe to catch a woodcock (‘springe’ = a trap; a snare to catch animals) [said of a woman’s beauty]

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