Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1891 — The Woodcock’s Whistle. [ARTICLE]

The Woodcock’s Whistle.

I have been much interested in all your woodcock bird whistle papers, and as my experience has extended "liver more than half a century of woodcock shooting (and many seasons’ shooting I have bagged from 100 to 150 birds), and the bird always interested me, I have spent many pleasant hours in studying its habits in spring, as well as fall and summer shooting. I want you to put down my vote to the wing theory. I know the bird has a little mouth talk, or note, which I have often heard when birds were mating and strutting on the ground in the spring, and the same note I have heard often from the old bird when I have been catching the young chicks; but the sound or note is not the same as the whistle of the continuous-flying, full-plumaged bird, and I have so often had the slightly wounded bird in my hand, and held by the bill or feet, make, as I am sure, the same whistling with his wings, that I cannot be mistaken; and the bird when not in plumage, held the same way, does not make the whistle. I kDow that we do not all hear, see nor think alike; but any person who will take a full-plumaged woodcock that is lively, hold it by the bill or foot, and let it have full use of its wings, cannot but be convinced the whistle is made with the wings. Audubon should be pretty good authority, and he reoords the noise as made by the wings; and among all my bird, acquaintances I do not remember one bird, that has a continuous month note when flying,, but very many have a wing whistle when flying, such as the gold-eyed duck, whistling swan and others, and can be heard a long distance. The drumming ruffed grouse, noise of the wings of the flushed quaii and many others talk with their wings as well as their mouths. —Forest and Stream.