Springtime in Baltimore means cherry blossoms — and for American woodcocks, who are entering their mating season and looking for love, what could be more romantic?

They put a new twist on “early birds” as the first birds to migrate to the city for the spring season. Also known as timberdoodles, these brown-mottled birds lay over in the city in March as part of their springtime migratory pattern.

It’s important to have green patches in the city for the birds to rest, said Lindsay Jacks, director of Lights Out Baltimore. The all-volunteer organization monitors the downtown area to collect and rescue birds that collide with windows and glass structures.

Climate change is shifting the birds’ patterns, as the warmer weather likely makes their food source available earlier in the year, said Kathy Woods, executive director of Phoenix Wildlife Center. Woodcocks are the first birds to greet spring, and they are coming earlier and earlier each year, starting in February. Now their fall migration stretches into December, as opposed to November.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

In the past week and a half — which Jacks called “peak season” for woodcock sightings — Lights Out Baltimore volunteers rescued eight of these little birds. Four went to Phoenix Wildlife Center in Baldwin for rehabilitation services, one went to Frisky’s Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary in Woodstock, and three died before they could be transported, Jacks said.

Woodcocks are “goofy as hell,” Jacks said. With eyes on either side of their head, they are “dopey” and easy to catch when they need rescue, she said. They can’t fly very high, not over the average rowhome, and walk as if they are shaking their butts.

If you see one of the small birds sitting on the ground in a park or open space, it's safe to leave them be. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Jacks)

American woodcocks dance, too, jumping in the air and flying upward in spirals to find a mate. Males give “buzzy peent” calls, twittering their wings, then descend in zigzag until landing silently near a female. The whole move is called “sky dance.”

“When you see a woodcock, it’s a memorable bird,” Jacks said. “You’ll never forget it.”

The birds often sit on the ground. If they are hanging out at a park or an open area, it’s safe to leave them be, Jacks said. But if an adult bird is sitting still near a building, even as people are walking by, that’s a sign the bird is injured, likely because it collided onto a structure. If that’s the case, it can suffer head trauma and swelling. It’s may have hurt its eyes, too, or could have internal injuries.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Woodcocks are easy to contain. The best way is to approach them from their front with gloves or a jacket and put them in a paper bag or a box.

“And you can either call Lights Out Baltimore or also animal control,” Jacks said. “They will hold it at BARCS and then they will call us to help transport.”

Alternatively, the birds can be taken directly to a licensed wildlife rehabber like Phoenix Wildlife Center or Frisky’s Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary. Staff will treat them for head trauma and feed them, Woods said, and the birds will stay for a few days. Then they’re released, Woods said.

Woodcocks are usually tagged after rescue, Jacks said, and a transmitter tracks their migration pattern to help determine what happens to birds after they hit glass and whether there are long-term effects.

“Their data is very important to know how many are coming through our area and how they’re impacted by hitting glass or light pollution,” Jacks said.

Clara Longo de Freitas

clara.longo@thebaltimorebanner.com

Clara Longo de Freitas

Clara Longo de Freitas is a neighborhood reporter covering East Baltimore communities. Before joining the Banner, she interned at The Baltimore Sun as an emerging news and community reporter. She also has design and illustration experience with several news organizations, including The Hill and NPR.

More from Clara Longo de Freitas

Mark Parker declares victory in Baltimore’s 1st District City Council race

A majority of the Baltimore City Council hangs on in early results in the 2024 primary

More From The Banner

Maryland hospitals took money from poor patients. Why haven’t they paid them back?

Joanna Meade reads aloud love letters from the 1920's in the sun room of her home on February 27, 2024. The letters were found inside of a wall during a renovation.

Secret in the walls: Hidden letters reveal love, lust, scandal in 1920s Baltimore society

Illustration shows black geometric fragments falling from the sky, partially obscuring the faint outline of Key Bridge central span. In the background a sunrise starts to illuminate the darkness.

Grieving my brother and the Key Bridge

Sheila Dixon, a ‘filthy’ street and residents who want politicians to put up or shut up