Snipes, Sandpipers and Phalaropes (Scolopacidae)

Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) - HBW 3, p. 489

French: Bécasse des bois German: Waldschnepfe Spanish: Chocha Perdiz
Other common names: (European) Woodcock

Taxonomy: Scolopax Rusticola Linnaeus, 1758, Sweden.
Forms superspecies with S. mira, with which often considered conspecific. Traditionally considered rare winter visitor to Philippines, where recorded on Luzon; however, recent work indicates presence of probably new, as yet undescribed, species on Mindanao (see page 448), so occurrence of present species in Philippines probably requires reviewing. Monotypic.

Distribution: Azores, Madeira, Canary Is and British Is through N & C Europe and C Asia to Sakhalin and Japan; also Caucasus, NW China and N India. Winters from W & S Europe and N Africa to SE Asia.