The woodcock

Characterised by its long powerful beak, this bird frequents woods and forests, where it hides away during the day, and damp meadows where it feeds at night. Very shy, it can be detected by its call which is rather like a growl. Most woodcocks are migratory. They overwinter right around the shores of the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coast, and nest in Northern Europe and Russia. But some of their number are virtually resident.