Stout-bodied with long beak; usual weight not more than 160 g (6 oz); often confused with common snipe which is taller and more slender.

Although shy and largely unknown, woodcocks and their unique habitat make them a prime hunting concern.

They are a migratory species, wintering in the south-east USA, moving north to Quebec each spring to breed and heading south again before the cold weather arrives. They feed mainly on earthworms (60%) as well as other soil organisms (30%) and seeds (10%).