Current Status of the Woodcock in Iowa

Authors

Eugene D. Kloglan, Iowa State Conservation CommissionFollow
H. Lee Gladfelter, Iowa State Conservation CommissionFollow
Robert G. Sheets, Iowa State Conservation CommissionFollow
Gene Hlavka, Iowa State Conservation CommissionFollow

Document Type

Research

Keywords

Woodcock, Population Index, Nesting Records, Iowa

Abstract

Iowa is at the western edge of the continental range of woodcock. Because of their scarcity in the state, little interest has been shown in them. They are a prized game bird in many states in the eastern half of the country. In 1961, Iowa began participating in the annual U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spring woodcock census, which has increased efforts to learn more about this species in the state. The spring singing-ground census of courting males revealed that a low population of breeding woodcock exists in suitable habitat, primarily limited to the eastern one-third of the state. Thirty verified records of nesting woodcock in Iowa, most from brood sightings, were recorded during the 1960's and 1970's. These bracketed the state from the Mississippi to the Missouri rivers. Other sightings have been reported from various locations in the state during spring and fall migration. A composite of information available showed that woodcock are not abundant but are widely distributed over Iowa.

Publication Date

May 1976

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

82

Issue

3-4

First Page

191

Last Page

193

Copyright

©1976 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Kloglan, Eugene D.; Gladfelter, H. Lee; Sheets, Robert G.; and Hlavka, Gene (1976) "Current Status of the Woodcock in Iowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 82(3-4), 191-193.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol82/iss3/14