Friday's Foto

Call him a "Timberdoodle", "Mud Bat", "Bogsucker", "Labrador Twister" or "Mudsnipe", but an American Woodcock by any other name is still one of the oddest of North America's shorebirds. With eyes set so far back on their head they have better vision behind than in front. For a bird who spends most of its time probing for worms with a long, prehensile-tipped bill, this adaptation allows them to keep a sharp lookout for predators while they forage. An early spring migrant through NYC, look for this well camouflaged bird sitting motionless in the leaf litter or feeding under stands of conifers.