Home / Environment / Timberdoodles Boogie in Bryant Park!
Timberdoodles Boogie in Bryant Park!
2 Apr
Summary
- Migratory American woodcocks, or timberdoodles, are drawing crowds in Bryant Park.
- The birds exhibit unique bopping and shimmying behaviors, captivating onlookers.
- Experts suggest their unusual movements might be for foraging or courtship.
American woodcocks, also called timberdoodles, are currently captivating visitors in Bryant Park, Manhattan, during their spring migration. These usually reclusive birds have made the Midtown green space a temporary refuge, drawing significant public attention with their distinctive bopping and shimmying behaviors. Videos of the birds, often set to popular music, have flooded social media, highlighting their quirky charm.
Experts like Professor Scott R. McWilliams suggest the woodcocks' movements could be a foraging strategy to flush out invertebrates or a unique courtship ritual. Some speculate it may even be an anti-predator behavior to signal awareness. These migratory birds, while declining in numbers since the 1960s, have become a charismatic urban spectacle.
The Bryant Park Corporation has embraced the phenomenon, selling merchandise and organizing bird walks. Despite the crowds, most visitors are respectful, allowing the woodcocks to forage undisturbed in the park's shrubbery and planter beds, transforming the urban oasis into a momentary wildlife viewing hotspot.
