Is it a strut? A rumba? A “limbo rock” move? People don’t know, but they are entranced by woodcocks dancing across the road. Martha Gane caught the adorable birds on camera walking across the road. She shared the video and wrote, “I don’t know why the Woodcock crossed the road, but they sure do it with panache!”
She added, “The song ‘Limbo Rock’ immediately popped into my head as I watched these adorable birds dance across the road.”
It’s as if they are moving to the beat of music only they can hear. So what is the rocking about? It isn’t known exactly why they do this. Some researchers think the birds do it when they know they are being observed, letting the observer know they can burst into the sky at any time. Sometimes they freeze so maybe it’s a way to confuse possible predators. Others says it’s physiological whereas others say it’s a dance to woo the woodcock ladies.
You can learn all about the endearing American Woodcock in this video from All Things Birdie.
Other people who have spotted Woodcocks have shared their videos. “I’ll never get tired of watching these guys,” wrote one person.
This YouTuber noticed a mother teaching here babies to “dance” and freeze, as they crossed the road. He wrote, “While driving on the back roads of Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia Canada, we were fortunate to have a front row seat.”
Another YouTuber said it took the woodcock he was watching 10 minutes to cross. A viewer responded, “It may have taken him ten minutes to cross that road but they were ten stylish minutes.”
What a fun bird to watch!
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