U.S. Geological Survey

"WMI and its partners have helped halt the rangewide decline in the population of the American woodcock by making habitat over the last decade," says Dan McAuley, USGS biologist. "Based on Singing Ground Survey data, we've seen no decline during the last 10 to 12 years. Through several telemetry monitoring studies, we've observed a dramatic increase in woodcock numbers in areas where habitat is actively being created." The USGS is a science organization that provides impartial information on the health of our ecosystems and environment, the natural resources we rely on, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the core science systems that help us provide timely, relevant, and usable information.