뉴욕커들, 귀여운 숲도요새의 독특한 구애 춤 보러 맨해튼 공원으로 몰려
New Yorkers flock to Manhattan park for lovable woodcocks' bobbing strut
Associated Press
https://apnews.com/author/emily-wang-fujiyama
EN
2026-04-09 12:45
Translated
맨해튼 공원에서 숲도요새들의 특징적인 머리 끄덕임 구애 행동을 관찰하려는 뉴욕 주민들이 몰려들고 있다.
American woodcocks came to New York City looking to strut their stuff, and New Yorkers fell in love. (AP video: Emily Wang Fujiyama, Ted Shaffrey)
Visitors gather to take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
Visitors take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock rests in a bed of ivy as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
American woodcocks came to New York City looking to strut their stuff, and New Yorkers fell in love. (AP video: Emily Wang Fujiyama, Ted Shaffrey)
Visitors gather to take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
Visitors gather to take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
Visitors take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
Visitors take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock rests in a bed of ivy as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock rests in a bed of ivy as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
NEW YORK (AP) — American woodcocks came to New York City looking to strut their stuff, and New Yorkers fell in love.
The curious birds, known for their bobbing walks and kazoo-like calls, have drawn a crowd to Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan since arriving in late March. Dozens of spectators are gathering at the park every day to try to catch a glimpse of the grapefruit-sized birds as they poke their long bills in the ground for earthworms.
“It’s a very charismatic bird. I mean, it’s goofy-looking. It’s got eyes that are always looking at you no matter where you are. It does this nice little dance when it’s nervous,” said Bill Rankin, a Yale University professor who stopped by the park. “Having two of them together is a kind of nice little romantic story of spring.”
The woodcocks are known to stop at Bryant Park every year as they migrate north in early spring. They are strange-looking critters, seemingly assembled from the parts of other birds — a round body, enormous eyes and a long, thin bill. They’re also called “timberdoodles” or “bogsuckers” by some.
They’ve attracted more fans than usual at the park this year, in part because of widely shared videos and pictures on social media. Crowds of bird fans carrying smartphones and cameras are craning daily for a look at its silly walk, while mostly maintaining a respectful distance.
The walk, which made the woodcock a viral hit on social media, consists of the bird shimmying and bobbing its head. Some woodcock lovers describe it as a mating dance, but scientists who study them have different theories. They’ve described it as possibly an antipredator display or foraging technique.
“What you’re seeing in Bryant Park when it’s sitting around when these crowds are looking at it, is mostly a little bit of foraging behavior,” said Andrew Farnsworth, a scientist with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “A little of roosting and stretching, and then some of this sort of, you know, kind of sensory stuff looking around, and a little bit of deception, too.”
The woodcock’s courtship display is another sensation. The male makes a buzzing call described by birdwatchers as a “meep” or “peent” before flying high and erratically against the night sky to try to win the affection of the female.
The woodcocks in Manhattan will likely continue migrating north in the middle of April. The birds’ popularity has provided a valuable opportunity to educate the public about the threats they face, such as collisions with building glass, said Ryan F. Mandelbaum, a New York City naturalist and author of the book “Wild NYC: Experience the Amazing Nature in and around New York City.”
While not endangered, American woodcocks have experienced a population decline in recent decades.
“I was also heartened to see that people are engaging with the conservation threats around light pollution and glass that woodcocks face,” Mandelbaum said. “I love the community and shared joy that’s been emerging from people seeing the bird.”
Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine.
Visitors gather to take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
Visitors take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock rests in a bed of ivy as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
American woodcocks came to New York City looking to strut their stuff, and New Yorkers fell in love. (AP video: Emily Wang Fujiyama, Ted Shaffrey)
Visitors gather to take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
Visitors gather to take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock forages as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
Visitors take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
Visitors take photos of an American woodcock as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock rests in a bed of ivy as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
An American woodcock rests in a bed of ivy as it pauses along its spring migration route at Bryant Park in New York, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Wang Fujiyama)
NEW YORK (AP) — American woodcocks came to New York City looking to strut their stuff, and New Yorkers fell in love.
The curious birds, known for their bobbing walks and kazoo-like calls, have drawn a crowd to Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan since arriving in late March. Dozens of spectators are gathering at the park every day to try to catch a glimpse of the grapefruit-sized birds as they poke their long bills in the ground for earthworms.
“It’s a very charismatic bird. I mean, it’s goofy-looking. It’s got eyes that are always looking at you no matter where you are. It does this nice little dance when it’s nervous,” said Bill Rankin, a Yale University professor who stopped by the park. “Having two of them together is a kind of nice little romantic story of spring.”
The woodcocks are known to stop at Bryant Park every year as they migrate north in early spring. They are strange-looking critters, seemingly assembled from the parts of other birds — a round body, enormous eyes and a long, thin bill. They’re also called “timberdoodles” or “bogsuckers” by some.
They’ve attracted more fans than usual at the park this year, in part because of widely shared videos and pictures on social media. Crowds of bird fans carrying smartphones and cameras are craning daily for a look at its silly walk, while mostly maintaining a respectful distance.
The walk, which made the woodcock a viral hit on social media, consists of the bird shimmying and bobbing its head. Some woodcock lovers describe it as a mating dance, but scientists who study them have different theories. They’ve described it as possibly an antipredator display or foraging technique.
“What you’re seeing in Bryant Park when it’s sitting around when these crowds are looking at it, is mostly a little bit of foraging behavior,” said Andrew Farnsworth, a scientist with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “A little of roosting and stretching, and then some of this sort of, you know, kind of sensory stuff looking around, and a little bit of deception, too.”
The woodcock’s courtship display is another sensation. The male makes a buzzing call described by birdwatchers as a “meep” or “peent” before flying high and erratically against the night sky to try to win the affection of the female.
The woodcocks in Manhattan will likely continue migrating north in the middle of April. The birds’ popularity has provided a valuable opportunity to educate the public about the threats they face, such as collisions with building glass, said Ryan F. Mandelbaum, a New York City naturalist and author of the book “Wild NYC: Experience the Amazing Nature in and around New York City.”
While not endangered, American woodcocks have experienced a population decline in recent decades.
“I was also heartened to see that people are engaging with the conservation threats around light pollution and glass that woodcocks face,” Mandelbaum said. “I love the community and shared joy that’s been emerging from people seeing the bird.”
Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine.