The American Woodcock is the latest — and cutest — bird to capture the heart of Gotham.
Bird lovers are flocking to Bryant Park for a glimpse of the reecnt visitor, who immediately captured their hearts after first being spotted Wednesday after landing to rest during its northern migration.
These tiny flyers are tough to spot on the ground — their avian camouflage is a perfect fit for a woodsy floor because their plumage blends into the foliage like nature’s beakiest fashionistas.
It was com-peep pandemonium in Manhattan’s Bryant Park when hundreds of birdwatchers tried to get a glimpse of the elusive American Woodcock. Helayne Seidman for the NY PostWhich, of course, makes them an egg-stra exciting sight for devoted — and even casual — birders.
Not to mention the cuteness factor.
The American Woodcock is comically round — like a feathery meatball with legs — and sports large, orbital eyes perched way back on its head like built-in rear-view mirrors.
They’re a shorebird species, native to the eastern part of North America, and they’re famous for making a buzzy, nasal “peent” sound, which listeners often hear as “meep.”
An American Woodcock sits in a planted area in Bryant Park displaying its cuteness. Helayne Seidman for the NY PostThe itty-bitty chirper — about 10 inches long and only weighing in at five-to-eight ounces — is a sure sign that spring has officially sprung because that’s when they leave their homes in the south and travel toward the Canadian border, making a pit stop in the Big Apple.
Naturally, the sighting set social media a-flutter.
“I just realized that it is also called a ‘timberdoodle.’ It is such a lovely bird and brings so much joy in the park and online around the world,” one bird lover cooed on X.
The New York crowd of impromptu bird watchers, along with hordes of tourists, were thrilled with the rare sighting and took home some egg-cellent photos. Helayne Seidman for the NY PostAnother quipped, “Where’s his cash container? Looks like he’s busking/dancing for the crowd.”
“Urban birding at its finest, nature’s little surprise in the city,” swooned a third.
According to the National Audubon Society, American Woodcocks, which live about eight years, are related to sandpipers and prefer to wing it low-key during the day, hiding out in forest thickets.
With its long bill, it probes damp soil for earthworms — using a signature dance move that sends vibrations through the ground to worm its way to dinner.
Folks at the park couldn’t resist mimicking the bird’s boogie woogie in a joyful, slightly wobbly, celebration that says sometimes, even in the heart of busy Manhattan, nature can wing by and leave everyone more star struck than any movie A-lister.
The American Woodcock doesn’t stop to build nests around New York City as they’re headed further north. Helayne Seidman for the NY PostThe Bryant Park blog, devoted to the birdies, said the tiny dancers don’t nest, they simply get a little peckish on their way north and dip down to earth for a quick bite and a fun photo shoot, sticking around for a few days to a week.
The sightings are thrilling, but the American Woodcock has big claws to fill.
In Oct. 2024, hundreds of thousands of birds passed through the Big Apple — at one time — on their way south for the winter during a major migration spike.
Last December, Big Apple birders went “cuckoo” over an exceptionally rare cuckoo bird spotted by a golfer on Long Island.
More recently, in March, a majestic swan was reported in New York City for the very first time, making bird lovers ecstatic.
