The Amami woodcock is a medium-sized wader. It is slightly larger and longer-legged than the Eurasian woodcock, and may be conspecific.
Region
Ryukyu Islands
Typical Environment
This species is confined to evergreen broadleaf forests of the Amami Islands, favoring dense understory, ravines, and moist forest floors. It forages along shaded trails, edges, and stream margins where soils are soft. Roosting occurs in dense cover, and it avoids open agricultural land. Breeding and nesting take place on the ground in well-concealed sites within mature forest. Human disturbance and forest fragmentation can limit suitable habitat.
Altitude Range
0–700 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Amami woodcock is a secretive, crepuscular wader endemic to the Amami Islands of Japan. It is slightly larger and longer-legged than the Eurasian woodcock and was once considered conspecific, but is now generally treated as a distinct species. Its cryptic, leaf-litter-like plumage makes it extremely hard to see on the forest floor. Conservation concerns include habitat loss and predation by introduced mammals.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short, explosive flush with rapid wingbeats; low, zigzag flight through forest
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly or in pairs, keeping to dense cover. Nests are shallow ground scrapes lined with leaves, well hidden among understory vegetation. Courtship likely involves low display flights at dusk, similar to related woodcocks. Parental care is primarily by the female, which leads chicks soon after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft grunts and squeaks, with low croaks and thin whistles given at dusk and during display. Calls are understated and can be easily missed against forest ambient sounds.
Plumage
Densely mottled and barred brown, rufous, and black with fine vermiculations, creating a highly cryptic, leaf-litter pattern.
Diet
Primarily feeds on earthworms, beetles, larvae, and other soil-dwelling invertebrates. It probes moist soil with its long bill, using tactile sensitivity at the bill tip to detect prey. It may also take small snails and other soft-bodied invertebrates. Foraging often occurs along muddy paths and stream edges where substrate is soft.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on the shaded forest floor, especially in damp leaf litter and along riparian zones. It favors undisturbed evergreen forest with deep humus and consistent moisture.
