 The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is
conducting two wildlife surveys across northern Michigan in May – the American
Woodcock Singing-Ground Survey, which involves an intricate aerial dance of a
migratory bird, and a bear hair snare survey, literally snagging bear hair on
barbed wire.
“Wildlife surveys are one of the most enjoyable parts of
our jobs,” said Dale Rabe, DNR wildlife field operations manager in Traverse
City. “Being able to hear or see the
wildlife we manage or, in the case of the bear survey, being able to find
evidence of their presence is a pretty good time in the woods.”
Annually, the woodcock survey is performed across much the
northern United States, giving wildlife agencies an idea of breeding populations.
Woodcock migrate annually to southern Gulf Coast states from eastern Texas to
Florida and return to northern latitudes, including Michigan, to find a mate
and breed. Michigan is a national leader for the number of young woodcock that
are produced each year.
Spring, when their unique breeding behavior can be seen
and heard in the evenings, is the perfect time to count male woodcock.
“Male woodcock will be in their singing grounds, or grassy
openings, just after sunset ‘peenting,’ and they’ll start their spiral display flights,”
said Bruce Barlow, DNR wildlife biologist in Gladwin. “While they are on the
ground, they will call a ‘peent’ every four to five seconds. You may have heard this nasal insect-like call
before, but may have never realized it was a woodcock making that sound!”
The singing ground survey is performed annually along
approximately 123, 3.6-mile survey routes.
Each route is surveyed just one time a year.
“This national survey technique was originally developed
in Michigan and is used to monitor annual changes in woodcock populations,” DNR
upland bird biologist Al Stewart said.
“It’s a key component of the National American Woodcock Management Plan
– a continental management plan of this unique game bird.”
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