The Sulawesi woodcock also known as Celebes woodcock, is a medium-sized wader. It is larger and darker than Eurasian woodcock but with small reddish spots.
Region
Sulawesi, Indonesia
Typical Environment
Occurs in montane forests of Sulawesi, favoring dense, moist, mossy and cloud-forest habitats. It keeps to shaded forest floors with deep leaf-litter and soft soils near streams and seeps. The species is highly secretive and typically emerges to forage under low light. Records are scattered from several upland massifs, suggesting a patchy distribution tied to intact high-elevation forest.
Altitude Range
900–2500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Celebes woodcock, this elusive wader is larger and darker than the Eurasian woodcock, with fine reddish spotting across the upperparts. It is a nocturnal, forest-floor specialist that is rarely seen by day. Most detections come from its dusk and night display flights and calls over montane forest clearings and ridgelines.
Temperament
secretive and crepuscular
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights; display flights at dusk
Social Behavior
Largely solitary outside the breeding period. Nests are simple ground scrapes concealed in dense understory or leaf-litter. Clutches are small, and both camouflage and stillness are key defenses.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
At dusk and during the night it gives soft grunts and wheezy squeaks, often during display flights over ridgelines or clearings. Ground calls are quiet and easily missed, contributing to its elusive reputation.
Plumage
Heavily mottled and barred with dark brown, blackish, and rufous tones; fine reddish spotting on mantle and scapulars. Upperparts show complex vermiculation suited for leaf-litter camouflage. Crown shows bold transverse barring typical of woodcocks.
Diet
Feeds mainly on soil and leaf-litter invertebrates, including earthworms, beetles, larvae, and other small arthropods. It probes soft ground and mud with its long sensitive bill to locate prey. Occasional small mollusks are also taken when available. Foraging is typically methodical and close to cover.
Preferred Environment
Damp forest floors with deep leaf-litter, especially near streams, seeps, and forest edges within montane zones. It favors soft substrates where probing is easy and cover is dense.
