Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)Where and when to see it in the UK
Status not yet classified · reporting peaks November · Sandpipers and Allies · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Woodcock has been recorded in 1,804 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (61%) in records to 2026. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in November.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 100% or more of visits
- High
- 6% to 100%
- Moderate
- 2% to 6%
- Low
- under 2%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 84% | 1% | Very high |
| February | 76% | 1% | Very high |
| March | 48% | <1% | Very high |
| April | 14% | <1% | Very high |
| May | 28% | <1% | Very high |
| June | 36% | <1% | Very high |
| July | 8% | <1% | Very high |
| August | 2% | <1% | Very high |
| September | 2% | <1% | Very high |
| October | 49% | <1% | Very high |
| November | 100% | 2% | Very high |
| December | 81% | 1% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in November
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| HU31 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY33 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J05 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J18 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J37 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J57 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NB35 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NB43 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NB45 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NC02 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |